The Minute You Wake Up Dead – Movie Review
Director: Michael Mailer
Writer: Timothy Holland, Michael Mailer (Screenplay)
Cast
- Cole Hauser (Pitch Black)
- Jaimie Alexander (Thor)
- Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption)
- Darren Mann (Embattled)
Plot: A stockbroker in a small southern town who gets involved in an insurance scam with a next-door neighbor that leads to multiple murders.
Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Minute You Wake Up Dead starts when a stockbroker Russ Potter (Hauser) returns to a small southern town. He gets evil looks from most of the residents because of his failed venture. This venture has caused many of the residents to lose a lot of money and he starts getting threatening phone calls.
When Russ’s close friend Delaine (Alexander) sees her father murdered. This leads to Sheriff Fowler (Freeman) investigating what happened as a new web of conspiracies starts to unfold.
Verdict on The Minute You Wake Up Dead
Characters
Russ Potter is a stockbroker that investigated a lot of his money and the local resident’s money into a failed venture. He has returned to the town filled with only apologies for what happened. Russ finds himself dealing with threatening phone calls, leaving him questing his safety. He is presented as a remorseful figure that is upset with the outcome of what happened.
Delaine Moore is a local waitress and Russ’s neighbor. She works long shifts and her father’s health is getting worse. When her father is murdered, she looks to move on with her life, only to show how far she has gotten caught up in an insurance deal.
Sheriff Fowler isn’t overly fond of Russ’s return to town. However, he soon starts looking into the murder and the threats made toward him. He is trying to understand the bigger picture before things spiral out of control.
In the supporting characters, we get a host of different figures who want to get their hands on the money in play. They have different motivations and cause different problems for everyone else involved
Performances
Cole Hauser, Jaimie Alexander and Morgan Freeman are the biggest name in the movie. Morgan Freeman does his typical well-spoken supporting role. Jaimie Alexander is the star of the show here, she goes through the most different roles throughout the movie. Cole Hauser starts the movie strongly, with a character that feels more complex than the typical stockbroker figure.
Story
The story follows a remorseful stockbroker that returns to his home town. He finds himself threatened by the locals before a surprise murder sets off a catalyst of events. This leads him down a path where he doesn’t understand the bigger picture of what is going on.
The movie does try to keep us guessing, constantly looking to bring a new twist to the story. However, certain twists don’t seem to make as much sense as they should. Certain characters seem to know things they shouldn’t and by the end, it reflects how everything gets spiralled out of control. The story does flow along at a slower state, where not everything comes together as smoothly.
Where to Watch: Signature Entertainment presents The Minute You Wake Up Dead on Digital Platforms on 9th January.
Final Thoughts – The Minute You Wake Up Dead is a twist-filled thriller that doesn’t quite click together.