WOKEN now on Mubi
There’s something deeply unsettling about waking up to faces you don’t recognize, in a place you’ve never been, carrying a child you can’t remember conceiving. This is the nightmare that greets Anna in Alan Friel’s debut feature WOKEN, and for much of its runtime, the film mines this premise for genuine psychological terror.
Friel, who cut his teeth directing commercials and shorts including CAKE with Maxine Peake, understands the power of atmosphere. His windswept Irish island, filmed across County Clare and County Limerick, becomes a character unto itself—all howling winds, dripping cottage roofs, and flickering candlelight that casts dancing shadows on walls that seem to hold secrets. This is a world stripped of modern conveniences, where paraffin lamps replace electricity and wood-burning stoves fight against an endless chill. The absence of phones, televisions, or any connection to the outside world feels deliberate, calculated even.
Anna awakens to this pre-digital purgatory after what she’s told was a terrible fall, though we’ve witnessed something far more disturbing—her desperate flight toward a cliff edge, pursued by unseen forces. Screen Star of Tomorrow Erin Kellyman, known from SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, brings a raw vulnerability to Anna that makes her confusion and growing paranoia palpable. She’s surrounded by people who claim to love her—her supposed husband James, played with careful ambiguity by Ivanno Jeremiah, and the nurturing Helen, embodied by Peake with just the right balance of maternal warmth and underlying menace.
Friel demonstrates a keen eye for the sinister potential lurking within the mundane. The rhythmic hammering of crab shells during dinner becomes a percussion of dread. A collection of identical yellow baby jackets, hand-knitted with obsessive care, transforms from touching preparation into something deeply unsettling. Even the arrival of strangers on a absurdly incongruous swan-shaped pedalo manages to feel threatening rather than whimsical.
The director skillfully plants seeds of doubt about everything Anna encounters. Are the photo albums and home movies genuine memories or elaborate fabrications? Is Helen’s cardigan-clad concern authentic or performance? The whispered conversations Anna overhears, the glimpses of hidden firearms, the growing certainty that escape from this island sanctuary might be impossible—all contribute to a mounting sense of paranoia that keeps both Anna and the audience off balance.
From 007 to retirement home detective, @piercebrosnanofficial has done it all!
In a new interview, The THURSDAY MURDER CLUB (now streaming on @netflix) star strolls through the north London streets where he once cut his teeth as a young actor.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🎬 Domhnall Gleeson is back and he`s trading time travel for newspaper headlines!
The EX MACHINA and ABOUT TIME star leads THE PAPER, a new mockumentary series from THE OFFICE creators that drops ALL 10 episodes September 4th on Peacock!
Watch the new sneak peek at irishfilmtv.com.
* NEW TRAILER ALERT *
From Oscar nominee for THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN to scene-stealer in THE PENGUIN, Colin Farrel is now teaming up with visionary director Kogonada again for A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY alongside Margot Robbie.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
🎭 Jessie Buckley is about to break our hearts all over again in HAMNET 💔
From her Oscar-nominated turn in THE LOST DAUGHTER to the psychological depths of MEN, this Irish powerhouse keeps choosing roles that demand everything.
HAMNET hits theaters November 27th - mark your calendars! 🗓️
** NEW TRAILER ALERT **
After 8 years away from acting, Daniel Day-Lewis returns in ANEMONE.
Set in 1980s Yorkshire, this Brad Pitt-produced film explores the complex bonds between fathers, sons, and brothers.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
🎰 NEW TRAILER ALERT! Colin Farrell is on an absolute TEAR right now!
Fresh off his Golden Globe and SAG wins for THE PENGUIN, he`s diving into Edward Berger`s new film BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER - and the first trailer looks absolutely stunning.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
🍺 From PEAKY BLINDERS to pints of pure drama!
Steven Knight is serving up Ireland`s most scandalous brewing dynasty in HOUSE OF GUINNESS, hitting Netflix Sept 25th ✨
Anthony Boyle, Louis Partridge, Emily Fairn & Fionn O`Shea are about to show you what happens when you inherit black gold... and all the poison that comes with it 🖤
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🎬 CHRISTY from @sleeper.films hits different.
This Cork story isn`t your typical social realism - it`s got heart, humor, and the kind of authentic brotherhood that`ll stay with you long after the credits roll.
Out in Ireland/Northern Ireland Aug 29, watch the trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
🎰 Colin Farrell`s career glow-up continues!
From Oscar-nominations to the unrecognizable Penguin in THE BATMAN, and now as an obsessive gambler in Edward Berger`s BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER.
Mark your calendars: @tiff_net premiere Sept 9, limited release Oct 15, Netflix Oct 29. 🔥
* NEW TRAILER ALERT *
Cillian Muprhy`s latest project STEVE premieres at Toronto Film Festival before hitting Netflix October 3rd.
Murphy plays a reform school headteacher fighting to save his institution while battling his own demons—because this man never takes the easy route.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
🎬 HE`S BACK. After 8 years in "retirement," Daniel Day-Lewis returns to the screen in ANEMONE - and it`s personal.
The three-time Oscar winner emerges from his artistic sabbatical for his most intimate project yet: a family drama he co-wrote with his son Ronan, who`s making his directorial debut.
World premiere at NYC Film Festival. October 3rd limited release. The legend continues. 🔥
More at irishfilmtv.com.
📺 NEW TRAILER ALERT 📺
Premiering Aug 28, THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB follows four retirees who spend their time solving cold case murders for fun - based on @misterosman’s bestselling novel.
Visit irishfilmtv.com for more!
🎭 LEGEND RETURNS TO THE STAGE 🎭
From Mad-Eye Moody to Uncle Pastuzo, Brendan Gleeson has captivated us on screen for decades. Now he`s making his WEST END DEBUT in THE WEIR! Dublin first (Aug 8-Sep 6) then London`s Harold Pinter Theatre (Sep 12-Dec 6).
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🎭 From beloved DERRY GIRL to Chekhov star!
Saoirse-Monica Jackson is trading the screen for the stage in Kabosh`s bold new adaptation of THREE SISTERS at @gaiety_theatre.
Visit irishfilmtv.com for ticket links!
Liam Neeson just crushed it as Frank Drebin Jr. in THE NAKED GUN and now he`s diving headfirst into horror comedy with COLD STORAGE.
At 72, Neeson is still choosing the wildest projects and we`re absolutely here for it. COLD STORAGE hits theaters next year!
Watch the crazy trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
