Awake 2021

As Jill Adams, a former U.S. Army medic still grappling with her own demons of addiction, navigates the complexities of her life as a security guard at a local college, she’s forced to confront the harsh realities of her choices when she steals drugs from the research lab to fuel her vices. With her children, Noah and Matilda, in tow, Jill faces another challenge: picking up the kids from their grandmother Doris’ house after her shift ends. The evening takes a deadly turn as their car’s engine fails, sending them careening into a lake where Matilda’s life hangs precariously in the balance. Miraculously revived by a police officer, the family soon learns that the world around them is descending into chaos as everything powered by electricity malfunctions, and comatose patients inexplicably awaken.

As the family struggles to make sense of this new reality, they find themselves trapped in a never-ending cycle of insomnia, with Jill’s own inability to sleep mirrored by her children. Amidst the turmoil, Noah begins to report seeing shooting stars, which his mother attributes to the satellites orbiting Earth, but as they try to make their way home, they’re met with an eerie silence - the entire neighborhood seems to be wide awake.

At work, psychiatrist Dr. Murphy reveals that humanity is facing a catastrophic crisis: people are unable to fall asleep, and without rest, they’ll soon succumb to the debilitating effects of sleep deprivation. The only glimmer of hope lies in an enigmatic old woman being studied at a mysterious military base known as The Hub, where scientists hope to uncover a cure for this inexplicable affliction.

Jill’s maternal instincts kick into high gear when she learns that Matilda, who possesses an extraordinary ability to fall asleep, is the subject of intense scrutiny. Fearing that her daughter will be exploited in the quest for a solution, Jill frantically searches for her, only to find her at church, where the pastor delivers a stirring sermon about Matilda’s potential as a beacon of hope - and the fervent desire among the congregation to sacrifice her to uncover the secrets behind her remarkable slumber.

As tensions escalate, Jill, Noah, and Doris face off against an increasingly hostile crowd, culminating in a tragic confrontation that leaves one party dead. With Matilda now more precious than ever, Jill is forced to reevaluate their strategy, ultimately deciding to flee to the woods with her children and seek refuge from the chaos unfolding around them.

In this desperate bid for survival, Jill’s resolve falters as she grapples with the weight of responsibility, her own demons, and the looming threat of The Hub. As they navigate treacherous terrain in search of sanctuary, Jill must confront the harsh realities of their situation and make a choice that will determine their fate: to surrender Matilda to the scientists or risk everything to protect her.

As Noah and Jill navigate the treacherous terrain, they stumble upon a library, where the protagonist uncovers a cryptic map that serves as their guide to The Hub. However, their journey is abruptly disrupted when an escaped prisoner, Dodge (character), commandeers their vehicle with Matilda in tow. In a surprising turn of events, these prisoners-turned-rescuers save Jill and Noah from a group of menacing fellow inmates.

As they venture further, the trio discovers the remnants of a downed aircraft and sets about scavenging for essential supplies. With energy levels dwindling due to sleep deprivation, Matilda becomes the sole viable option to operate their stolen vehicle. During her driving stint, she successfully evades hostile attackers, showcasing an unexpected display of resilience.

Upon reaching The Hub, Dodge offers to stay and lend his support, but Jill decides to part ways, gifting him the car and bidding him farewell. She then infiltrates the facility disguised as a lab worker, driven by a singular determination to locate the enigmatic woman who possesses the rare ability to sleep. After navigating the labyrinthine corridors, she finds her quarry in a state of critical illness.

Convinced that there is no cure for their affliction, Jill implores this woman to take Matilda under her wing and provide her with guidance. Her ruse is soon discovered by Murphy (character), who listens intently as Jill feigns a desire to assist the team. In a somber revelation, she learns that despite five days of intensive research, no cure has been found, and the lab workers have resorted to using a temporary solution that exacts a heavy toll on their neurological health.

The army soon closes in on Jill and her children, and Matilda is forced to confess her ability to sleep. The next day, she approaches the doctor with an eagerness to contribute, only to be met with the realization that they must unravel the mystery surrounding her unique condition. As they conduct experiments, Matilda is observed interacting with a chimpanzee who has been subjected to experimentation and remains unaffected by anesthetic gas.

The doctor reveals that chimps are the only creatures besides humans that share our biological affinity for sleeplessness, implying that Matilda’s special gift may hold the key to unlocking a cure. In a subsequent test, she falls asleep in response to the gas, leaving Jill handcuffed in a delirious state, grappling with the dire implications of their situation.

As Murphy presses Jill for an explanation of why her daughter, Matilda, can sleep peacefully amidst chaos, Jill’s desperation reaches a fever pitch. She implores Murphy to spare Matilda’s life, insisting that humanity’s very survival hangs in the balance. The catalyst behind this enigmatic phenomenon, she reveals, lies in the solar flare that crippled global power grids and disrupted the neural pathways of both humans and chimpanzees. Meanwhile, Dodge is seized by the authorities and administered stimulants to counteract the effects of the anomaly. Tragedy strikes when a woman who had previously succumbed to the sleep disorder suffers cardiac arrest and meets her untimely demise.

As the situation spirals out of control, Jill’s grip on reality begins to slip, and she is haunted by a hallucination in which Noah, her loved one, threatens to do her harm. In stark contrast, Noah himself is whisked away for further evaluation, with medical professionals seeking to determine whether his cerebral functions have been affected differently than those of his sister.

The consequences of this collective breakdown are devastating: the soldiers tasked with maintaining order succumb to madness, unleashing a hail of bullets on their fellow humans. Amidst the carnage, Jill makes a desperate bid to rescue Matilda and together they flee the mayhem. Noah, meanwhile, is wracked by visions and, in a moment of unbridled terror, inadvertently triggers his own electrocution.

In a poignant attempt to revive her loved ones, Jill and Matilda deploy a defibrillator on Noah’s lifeless form, only to be met with failure. However, as the fateful day wears on, Noah awakens to find himself transformed by his ordeal. He confides in Jill that she was correct in her instincts about The Hub, revealing an intuitive understanding of her deep-seated need for her family. As Matilda begins to grasp the extraordinary nature of their predicament, it becomes clear that both she and Noah had, in a manner of speaking, temporarily transcended mortality.

In a chilling turn of events, Matilda and Noah exact a gruesome revenge upon Jill, drowning her in a lake before reviving her through resuscitation. As the camera zooms in on Jill’s traumatized gaze, the film abruptly cuts to its credits, leaving viewers grappling with the dark implications of this surreal tale.