Woke (2023) (Blu-ray Review)
DIRECTED BY: Bobby Canipe Jr.
STARRING: Jamie Apple, Chris Atkinson, Jackson Boyd
RATED: UR/Region: O/1:85/1080P/NUMBER OF DISCS 1 (BD-r)
AVAILABLE FROM SRS Cinema
When I first saw the title Woke, I’ll admit I was expecting two hours of social media arguments brought to life. Instead, director Bobby Canipe Jr. throws a curveball and delivers a sci-fi adventure about a shy young girl and her friends trying to save their neighborhood from an alien invasion. Honestly? That’s probably the least predictable thing about the movie.
The premise feels like someone blended The Goonies, Saturday afternoon creature features, and that one kid in every neighborhood who swore aliens were living behind the abandoned house. Somehow, it all comes together into a surprisingly entertaining little indie film.
The budget isn’t exactly “summer blockbuster,” but you know what? It doesn’t matter nearly as much as you’d think. The movie has something that’s becoming increasingly rare these days—heart. Everyone involved seems like they’re having a blast, and that enthusiasm is contagious. Sometimes genuine passion beats another $200 million CGI festival where half the city gets destroyed because someone forgot to read the instructions.
The cast does a solid job bringing the characters to life, and the young heroes are easy to root for. Sure, there are moments where the dialogue gets a little cheesy, but let’s be honest: if kids are fighting aliens in suburbia, a little cheese comes with the territory. It’d almost be weird if it didn’t.
Bobby Canipe Jr. clearly knows exactly what kind of movie he’s making. Woke never tries to pretend it’s bigger than it is. Instead, it embraces its indie roots and focuses on telling a fun, lighthearted story with plenty of charm. That’s a refreshing change from movies that mistake being loud for being entertaining.
The alien itself is enjoyable enough, the pacing keeps things moving, and before you know it, you’ve spent a fun evening watching ordinary people deal with an extraordinarily bizarre problem. Which, let’s face it, is probably easier than dealing with your HOA.
At the end of the day, Woke is simply a fun slice of independent sci-fi horror. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it doesn’t need to. It delivers laughs, some creature-feature fun, and enough personality to leave a smile on your face. Besides, after watching countless movies where the fate of the entire planet hangs in the balance, it’s oddly refreshing to see someone just trying to save the neighborhood. The aliens clearly picked the wrong cul-de-sac.
Extras
-Commentary
-Trailer
-Behind the Scenes
-Stills
-and more!
