The Awakening

Play trailer

The Awakening

R

2012

1h 47m

Horror

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

64%

Tomatometer

74 Reviews

51%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In post-World War I England a writer and sometime-ghost hunter (Rebecca Hall) investigates a reported haunting at a boys boarding school.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

The Awakening never quite quickens the pulse the way it should, yet it remains a well-acted and handsomely assembled example of an old-fashioned supernatural thriller.

Read Critics Reviews

Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

Oct 26, 2022

For all its pedestrian qualities, there are a couple of big plus points in its favour. They are Rebecca Hall and Dominic West.

Go to Full Review

Moira MacDonald

Seattle Times

Aug 30, 2012

3/4

Though the story spirals a little out of control in the film's final scenes, "The Awakening" offers the low-key pleasures of an old-fashioned thriller and a lovely central performance.

Go to Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Aug 30, 2012

2/4

Whatever.

Go to Full Review

Julian Singleton

Cinapse

Jul 12, 2025

Set at the peak of spiritualism in the wake of World War I, The Awakening pulls from fertile storytelling material to infuse its scares and shocks with a vibrant undercurrent of charged emotional and historical context.

Go to Full Review

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 22, 2023

4/5

The core cast and gothic setting makes for a time-honored and entertaining ghost story.

Go to Full Review

Jason Best

What's On TV

Dec 22, 2020

Nick Murphy has crafted an elegant haunted-house chiller that turns the screw of mystery and suspense with some cunningly judged surprises and scares.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

B P

@Bradster69 6 days ago

Not Bad, but Not My Favorite

See more

M D

@RT82513945 Aug 16, 2026

A great ghost story.

See more

Rick S

@RickyBoy Jun 28, 2026

Pretentious incomprehensible drivel

See more

Natalee P.

@PurplePaisleyNat Jun 23, 2026

This was really really good! Surprised the lower rating “popcornometer” or whatever. Really great story.

See more

Kashgar A

@AllFunAndGames Mar 28, 2026

The best ghost stories are the ones that make you sad. This is one of them.

See more

Alain E

@AlainE Feb 14, 2026

Kind of boring. The exact opposite of what you expect a horror/magic movie to be. Additionally, the color image is definitely dated. Watched 42 minutes.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Nick Murphy

Director

Rebecca Hall

Florence Cathcart

Dominic West

Robert Mallory

Imelda Staunton

Maud Hill

Isaac Hempstead-Wright

Tom

Shaun Dooley

Malcolm McNair

The Moth Diaries

11%

23%

The Moth Diaries

Watchlist

Citadel

57%

32%

Citadel

Watchlist

The Beyond

75%

75%

The Beyond

Watchlist

Lost Boys: The Tribe

0%

25%

Lost Boys: The Tribe

Watchlist

Creature

11%

17%

Creature

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Now Streaming: The Babadook, Paddington, Marvel’s Daredevil, and More

Digital Multiplex: Silver Linings Playbook and ParaNorman

Critics Consensus: The Expendables 2 Is (Mostly) Big, Dumb Fun

View more photos

Synopsis

In post-World War I England a writer and sometime-ghost hunter (Rebecca Hall) investigates a reported haunting at a boys boarding school.

Director: Nick Murphy
Screenwriter: Stephen Volk, Nick Murphy
Distributor: Cohen Media Group
Production Co: StudioCanal, BBC Films
Rating: R (Some Violence|Sexuality/Nudity)
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 17, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $90.3K
Runtime: 1h 47m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings