A townland in Ireland. Witches lives there for generations. A new married couple comes to town. Their daughter has died in a tragic accident. Shades of 'The Monkey's Paw.' A rebirth ceremony like you have never seen in a film before, and hopefully never will again. Timothy Spall, of course, could make a film about planting peanuts worth the while spent. Here he makes Lord Summerisle seem cartoonish and inept. Witchcraft is serious rebellion against love and all that is right and true. So if we are going to tell stories of witches, let's do what Brendan McCarthy has done here and make them human, with foibles and needs and reasons for their actions. There is a place for buffooning the witch, as in The Wicker Man (though buffoonery wasn't the intended purpose of the film, hilariously), but we must remember that when we rail against any evil, we rail against ourselves. I've come away from this experience with more love in my heart for the lost--being a former practicing witch myself, you see.

The description is a poor description. I passed on this movie several times based on the "tease" description on Amazon.Don't pass on it. Aiden Gillean is wonderful. The story line is one that is more original that most horror movies these days. It's delightfully tense, and squidgey in all the right places.I highly recommend it.

After the death of their beloved daughter Alice (Ella Connolly) by a savage dog, the veterinary Patrick (Aidan Gillen) and the pharmacist Louise (Eva Birthistle) move to Wake Wood, a small town in the countryside. Patrick befriends the local leader Arthur (Timothy Spall) and the couple grieves the death of Alice.Sooner Louise witnesses part of a bloody ritual in the woods and they learn that the villagers practice a pagan ritual to bring back to life the beloved deceased one for three days for a better farewell within the first month of the casualty and within the village limits. Patrick and Louise accept the conditions and lie to Arthur about the date that Alice died. They succeed in resuscitating Alice but something goes deadly wrong. "Wake Wood" is an interesting film that has a storyline very similar to "Pet Sematary" with desperate parents using a weird ritual to revive their beloved nine year-old daughter. The dramatic and creepy story is supported by good performances and worth watching this Hammer film. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Despertar dos Mortos" ("Awake of the Dead")

I was happy when I heard that Hammer studios was back in business. So far they delivered 2 flicks, The Resident (2011) and this one. Wake Wood leans more towards the Hammer style then The Resident although both do have their own thing. Wake Wood has more red stuff. But that doesn't make a flick. My only point of negativity is the use of CGI. There is one scene that I didn't like, when they make a close-up of the child's neck and we see her wounds disappear. It was done 100% CGI and I hated it. I guess one shot is also CGI, when blood sputters out of a neck. But luckily the film has a good atmosphere. It takes place in Ireland and let that be the country of Paganism and Witchcraft. And that is what it's all about. Bringing back the death by old rituals. As I stated it do contain a lot of blood but it never becomes too gory. It was David Keating his first attempt to make a real horror. And he succeeded. Some shots were typical seventies style , even hammer style and the way it was edited was also a return to the seventies. The acting was okay. Only Eva Birthistle we knew from the horror The Children (2008). She even has a small nudity in Wake Wood.If I must choose which one, Wake Wood or The Resident, leans most to the old Hammer I would say wake Wood. Gore 2/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5