Dead Before They Wake (2025) Review

Dead Before They Wake (2025) Review

Based on true events, the film follows nightclub bouncer Alex who is hired by a retired lawyer to track down a missing teenaged girl, suspected of being snared by a trafficking ring, and to bring her home no matter what it takes.

Dead Before They Wake stars Nathan Shepka (LOCK & LOAD, THE BABY IN THE BASKET), Grace Cordell (CARA), Manjot Sumal (THE LAST BUS, hit BBC sitcom SCOT SQUAD), Kareem Nasif (THE JOB). Also starring Dr Who legend Sylvester McCoy (THE HOBBIT trilogy, THE MUNSTERS) and Patrick Bergin (SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY, PATRIOT GAMES).

DEAD BEFORE THEY WAKE is from the same team that wowed me with their spooky low-budget flick THE BABY IN THE BASKET. I welcomed that film’s relaxed pacing as it encouraged both characterisation and situations to flourish and take form.

That same pacing has been applied to this grim vigilante flick that has echoes of GET CARTER and Charles Bronson’s DEATH WISH franchise but to lesser effect. For this to have worked successfully the pacing needed ramping up to add some much-needed tension that is otherwise sadly lacking.

The acting is so-so overall and the scripting and storyline more obvious and by-the-book than with their other current release THE BABY IN THE BASKET. There’s nothing new to see here and what there is often feels muddled in tone and direction.

Dead Before They Wake will be available to own or rent on digital download in the UK from 27th January

Check out the trailer here: