Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Awakening’

Written by Scott Edwards 

Determining what is real and what is fake can be a fine line between being sane and insane. Being able to distinguish between the two is something that we as children are taught by our parents, but what if they were not so forthcoming about what is real? What if they never knew what was really behind our closet doors, under our beds or the truth about the invisible friends that we played with all the time? We were told that if we were the only one that can see or interact with what we believed was there, that it was not real, but there is always a chance that our parents were wrong and there was something there, that was beyond their understanding.

Florence Cathcart has become a well-known haunting debunker in England after World War I. For she has written books on the subjects of ghosts since her love was killed in the war and she’s also gone to gatherings to prove what the groups are doing is bogus and not providing benefits for anyone. Not believing and wanting to prove the rest of the world wrong, Florence will stand up to anyone at any time to show that there is no way to bring back a loved one, much less the chance of a ghost existing anywhere. Being called upon by a boarding school that was formally a home that has had reports of ghost sightings that have resulted in a student’s death, Florence packs her bags and prepares to prove the world wrong once again.

Being shown some convincing pictures of a boy that appeared in every school portrait since 1902 that was never enlisted, Florence tries to convince herself that it came from a double exposure, but nobody at the school is willing to accept that until she visits. Being greeted by Maud Hill, the school’s matron, Florence is shown around and introduced to all of the students. She finds that some of the older boys at the school have been playing tricks on the younger ones, but that will not explain the feeling of fear that several of the boys take home with them. Trying her hardest not to get too involved with the school’s troubles, Florence sets up her paranormal equipment around the premises to find out what is really happening. 

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​On her first night of investigating the boarding school, Florence believes that she has found the young man that has been terrorizing the other students. When finding that all of the boys are asleep and accounted for, her theories start to develop holes in them. Locating a dollhouse of the building that depicts what is happening at the current moment of time, Florence has to start to believe that there is something else afoot around the old building. When the boys go home for spring break, one is left and Florence buddies up with him saying that she will be his friend no matter what, but young Tom starts to become something more of a burden than a blessing as he becomes more demanding of her time and training.

The Awakening follows Florence Cathcart as she is on her next debunking mission at an English boarding school after having heard the reports of a ghost roaming the halls that has caused the death of a student. Proving to herself and to the people running the school; that these strange occurrences were caused by people, not ghosts, Florence is haunted by an image from her past that delays her exit for the time being. With all of the boys being sent home for the spring, she is left with the remaining adults in the school and one boy named Tom. Buddying up with Tom as the boy needs a friend, Florence starts to hear things around the building that make her remember bits and pieces from her forgotten youth. As more of her memories come back, she finds out that what she has been preaching may have been a lie.

If you are in need of a classical ghost story, The Awakening is for you. With the classic camera turns for shock value, along with more focus being on the story than the scares, you are not left feeling cheated of your time. Without knowing the full story behind Florence Cathcart, you are able to watch as she grows into a believer of something, she has taken a lifetime to disprove. With strange voices in the background, a mini specter roaming the halls and a boarding school that has more history attached to it than previously known, there are plenty of ways for the story to progress in each character’s eyes and there are definitely some quality scares for you to enjoy along the way. Stay Scared.

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