Awake

Year: 2007

Runtime: 84 min

Language: English

Director: Joby Harold

Budget: $8.6M

ThrillerCrime

During a surgical procedure, a man experiences a terrifying complication when the anesthetics fail, leaving him fully conscious and unable to move. This ordeal forces him to confront unsettling truths about his life and marriage. As dark secrets are revealed, he desperately fights to maintain his sanity and find a way to escape his trapped state, while his relationship with his wife deteriorates under the strain.

Awake (2007) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at Awake (2007) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In the sleek, high‑stakes world of corporate finance, Clay Beresford struggles to balance the relentless pressure of his position with the fragile rhythm of his own heart. His relationship with Sam, a poised and enigmatic assistant, offers both a sanctuary and a source of tension, especially as their love unfolds under the watchful eye of Clay’s formidable mother, Lilith Beresford. The family dynamic is a delicate dance of admiration, control, and unspoken expectations, each character carrying the weight of past grievances that echo through every interaction.

When Clay faces a critical medical procedure—a life‑saving heart operation performed by his longtime friend, Dr. Jack Harper—the looming uncertainty amplifies the already strained connections around him. The operating room becomes a tense arena where trust, fear, and vulnerability converge, and the possibility of waking up fully aware yet unable to move looms like a silent specter. This unsettling condition, known only to a few, adds a layer of psychological dread that permeates the film’s atmosphere.

The tone of the story is a slow‑burning thriller, saturated with claustrophobic tension and quiet dread. It explores how a single moment of medical vulnerability can magnify the hidden fractures in relationships, exposing truths that are as disorienting as they are inevitable. As Clay lies on the table, the world around him becomes a hushed chorus of whispers and concealed motives, urging him to confront not just his physical fragility but the emotional complexities that have long hovered just out of sight.

Through meticulous direction and a restrained visual palette, the film invites viewers to feel the suffocating grip of helplessness while remaining keenly aware of the subtle power plays unfolding among those who love and protect him. The lingering question is not only whether Clay will survive the surgery, but whether the revelations that surface in his quiet awareness will finally awaken the deeper bonds—or break them beyond repair.

Last Updated: August 10, 2025 at 09:26

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Claustrophobic suspense thrillers like Awake

Thrillers where the protagonist is physically or psychologically trapped in a terrifying situation.If you liked the feeling of being trapped in Awake, this collection features movies like it where characters face terrifying ordeals while confined. Discover similar thrillers with high-stakes psychological tension and a fight for survival against overwhelming odds.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread often begin with a character becoming trapped, either physically or in a situation they cannot easily escape. The narrative unfolds in real time, focusing on their psychological deterioration and desperate attempts to understand and overcome the threat from their confined position.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their shared ability to induce a visceral sense of claustrophobia and helplessness. They prioritize relentless pacing, high emotional intensity, and a dark tone centered on survival against a seemingly insurmountable immediate threat.

Thrillers about betrayal and deception like Awake

Stories where a trusted partner's betrayal unravels a web of deadly secrets.Movies like Awake that explore the dark side of intimate relationships. If you enjoyed the shocking revelation of betrayal in Awake, this list includes similar stories where trust is shattered and characters discover deadly secrets from those closest to them.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a protagonist who believes they are in a secure, trusting relationship. A central event, often a crisis, triggers the slow or sudden discovery that their partner is involved in a dangerous deception, forcing a tense confrontation and a fight for survival.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their focus on the emotional devastation of betrayal, particularly within a marriage or close partnership. They combine heavy emotional weight with a fast-paced, suspenseful plot driven by the unraveling of a personal conspiracy.

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Awake Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Awake

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More About Awake

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