Woken

A heavily pregnant Anna (Erin Kellyman) wakes up with no memory of her surroundings or the people around her. She’s reintroduced to her husband James (Ivanno Jeremiah) by their neighbour Helen (Maxine Peake) and her husband Peter (Corrado Invernizzi). Despite the friendly faces and reassurances, Anna still hasn’t a clue what’s going on even when presented with grainy home movies.

The house is a bit ramshackle and when walking around it’s clear that they are in an isolated place. As time passes on Anna becomes more at home and confident only for it all to collapse around her when two deformed people turn up on a swan shaped pedalo asking for help. They are shot dead without hesitation and everything is burned by the people she’d begun to trust. Obviously, something terrible happened away from the island and Anna senses that she is now in the middle of it all.

Directed by Alan Friel, co-written with Rebecca Pollock, as Woken’s story develops the themes and ideas will become very familiar to many viewers. Especially towards the middle and end when gun totting uniforms start appearing.

The overfamiliarity of the subject matter isn’t a great issue all told. In its favour, its well shot and acted. And even if there are some pacing issues and lulls, the images of craggy cliffs and desolate shorelines ensure a sense of dark foreboding that should keep the viewer involved.

Plus Friel, in his debut movie, has a feel for developing tension. There are small clues as to what is going on before the big reveals with passing shots of bullet casings and corroding restricted area signs that are for film viewers eyes only.

Woken will be available on digital platforms from 25 May 2026 from 101 Films.