Wake Up is the latest from Quebec filmmaking trio RKSS (or Roadkill Superstar), François Simard, his wife Anouk Whissel and her brother Yoann-Karl Whissel, adapting a script by Italian screenwriter Alberto Marini (The Communion Girl). Unlike their comedic gorefests Turbo Kid and newly released We Are Zombies, Wake Up has a darker tone, closer to that of Summer of ‘84. It fits neatly within the slasher subgenre, though instead of the middle of the woods, the action takes place in a furniture superstore that serves as a stand-in for IKEA.
Last month, environmental activists were sentenced to five years in prison for conspiring to block traffic on a highway in the UK. The group known as Just Stop Oil has been responsible for a wave of vandalism, most notably of Stonehenge and of priceless paintings, as a means of protesting climate change. Their actions have done little to help them gain public sympathy, but in the wake of the most recent trial, many felt the stiff prison sentences were too harsh for simply planning a non-violent protest. As corporations continue to pollute the planet without consequence, demonstrations such as these will become more frequent. What would be the proper response to these young radicals who just want to save the planet? In the new movie Wake Up, one extreme solution is presented: death.
“The film offers no mercy, no resolution […] only pure vicious sadism.”
Gen Z climate activist group Wake Up are setting out to expose big retailer House Idea for their environmental destruction; Their furniture is made from wood sourced from the Amazon, endangering hundreds of animal species in the process. The group’s leader Ethan (Benny O’ Arthur, Get Lucky) has a straightforward plan: casually stroll into the store pretending to be customers and hide until closing time. Once the building is vacated, spray paint the furniture and walls, play some paintball, and shoot videos on their cellphones spouting their manifesto while wearing geometric animal masks, then sneak out when the store is reopened in the morning. Although his plan entirely relies on the laziness of the security team.
Meanwhile, guards Kevin (Turlough Convery, Saint Maud) and his brother Jack (Aidan O’Hare, Gateway) are clocking in for the night. Kevin is on thin ice with his boss for previously attacking a rude customer, so the graveyard shift is his last chance to keep his job, though he’d rather be spending the weekend in the woods doing “primitive hunting,” which involves building weapons and traps out of materials found in the wild. Jack tries to convince his brother that working nights ain’t all bad, and that they can pass the time getting drunk.
When Kevin spots one of the activists in the security camera, Jack begs him not to notify the head office since he’s several drinks in and could lose his job. Instead, he suggests they scare the protesters into leaving. Jack confronts one of the kids and a struggle ensues, ending with Jack cracking his skull on the corner of a coffee table (probably the most common cause of accidental death in horror cinema). This sends Kevin over the edge and his killer instincts take over. The activists have to survive and escape the rampage of an unhinged lunatic living out his hunting fantasies in the labyrinthian warehouse.
Wake Up feels different from the rest of the filmography of RKSS, partially due to the absence of cinematographer Jean-Philippe Bernier, who had also provided the scores for past RKSS projects with his synth group Le Matos. Taking over camera duties was Léo Hinstin, an equally seasoned cinematographer whose credits include As Above, So Below, and more recently, Stopmotion.
There are some incredible shots throughout the film. Tension is built up with close-ups of Kevin’s rudimentary traps made of supplies found in the store, waiting to be triggered at any moment. We catch a glimpse of Kevin’s psyche with flashes of him stalking through a jungle, looking for his prey. At some point, the activists are doused with glow liquid that causes them to light up like neon signs once the lights are shut off while the unseen killer picks them off one by one in a visually stunning and exhilarating scene.
As is the case with most slashers, the victims’ punishment does not fit the crime. Instead of doing drugs or having premarital sex, these teenagers are trespassing and spraypainting cabinets as a means of raising awareness of the evils of the company. Does it warrant a death sentence? Absolutely not. At most it amounts to a fine. But at the same time, there’s something somewhat satisfying seeing these teens being brutally massacred.
“A twisted game of cat-and-mouse […] I was clamoring for blood!”
Not enough backstory is given to any of these characters for the viewer to have much connection to them, with the exception of Tom Gould in his onscreen debut role as Karim, the timid new member who questions the group’s methods. If anything, we find ourselves rooting for Kevin as he plays a twisted game of cat-and-mouse with them. Turlough Convery is an intimidating presence, with the camera making him appear a few feet taller than he actually is. In his close ups, he absolutely nails the look of murderous determination.
Wake Up has a straightforward story with a single location. RKSS aren’t taking a pro-environmental or anti-capitalist position. The clashing ideologies of the activists versus Kevin is merely a vehicle for the violence that follows. The film offers no mercy, no resolution to our current predicament, only pure vicious sadism. In any other instance, I would be siding with the environmentalists, but when sitting in a cinema surrounded by fellow horror fans, I was clamoring for blood!
RKSS’ Wake Up had its Canadian Premiere at this year’s Fantasia Film Festival. Click HERE to follow our continued coverage of the fest and let us know how you would survive an IKEA slasher in the Nightmare on Film Street Discord!
