“Wake Up” (2023) is a brutal, stylish, and fiercely contemporary slasher that pits Gen Z activism against primitive violence, unfolding almost exclusively within the labyrinthine aisles of a massive home superstore. Directed by Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell, the film uses the single-location setup to stage a nihilistic cat-and-mouse game that is as bloody as it is biting in its commentary on youth activism and power.
Premise and Setup
A group of young activists, passionate but somewhat naïve, break into a big-box furniture retailer with a plan to vandalize displays and record their protest footage for social media. Their goal is a bold statement against the store’s environmental impact and complicity in animal suffering. The team hides until closing, then unleashes their campaign: spray-painting slogans, unleashing paintball fire, and dumping animal blood—escalating stunts in a tone-perfect opening act that captures both the adrenaline of protest and the sometimes performative side of online activism.
But just as quickly, the film pivots. The activists discover they are not alone after hours. The security staff, including the hulking and deeply disturbed Kevin, become aware of the break-in. Kevin, whose unsettling hobbies include building elaborate hunting traps and watching primitive survival videos, takes the night as his cue to transform the store into his private hunting ground.
Characters and Execution
Unlike many slashers that offer a clear moral divide, “Wake Up” deliberately muddies the water. The activists—well-meaning but privileged, sometimes reckless—are not always easy to root for, with the exception of new recruit Karim, whose anxious demeanor offers the closest thing to a relatable everyperson. Their group is painted with broad strokes, defined more by cause and bravado than deep characterization, which some may find leaves them emotionally distant from the audience.
On the other side, Kevin is no misunderstood anti-hero: he is depicted as a powder keg of rage and alienation, using his survivalist obsessions as justification for the increasingly savage games he plays. His traps—crude, inventive, sometimes darkly humorous—serve up inventive kills and keep the suspense high, even as the film indulges in pulpy set pieces reminiscent of both “Home Alone” and classic slasher fare.
Visuals and Style
The directors, part of the RKSS collective known for “Turbo Kid” and “Summer of ‘84,” embrace a clean, modern aesthetic, bathing the store’s sterile lighting in sudden violence and shock. The store itself becomes a character: wide aisles, fake showrooms, and endless maze-like corridors create a perfect playground for horror set-pieces.
Blood and mayhem are plentiful, with a tight 80-minute runtime that rarely lets up once the hunt begins. Kill sequences are inventive; one standout involves glow-in-the-dark paint marking the doomed, offering a rare moment of visual flair in a genre that often revels in darkness.
Social Satire and Tone
“Wake Up” toys with themes of social protest, performativity, and class, spinning contemporary anxieties into a horror scenario. It delivers flashes of biting commentary—on activism as spectacle, on the ways privilege can both endanger and insulate, and on the monstrousness that can spring from alienation and power abuse. While some critics note that these insights sometimes get overtaken by standard slasher formula and genre contrivances, the film never quite loses its dark sense of humor.
The movie neither wholeheartedly sides with the activists nor redeems the villain—the result is a deeply cynical tone where motives are ambiguous, and survival counts for more than right or wrong.
Final Thoughts
“Wake Up” is not out to reinvent the slasher, but it stands out for its timely premise, kinetic energy, and willingness to get both nasty and satirical. It offers a sharp double feature with 80s “Intruder” or “Dangerous Game,” capturing generational anxieties and new-age rebellion within the high-stakes tension of a single, blood-soaked night. While light on characterization, it more than compensates with visceral thrills, modern style, and a wickedly memorable closing act.
For horror fans seeking a fresh spin on the mall/stalker formula with a mean streak and meta bite, “Wake Up” delivers a short, sharp shock with teeth.