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I really do not know why Await the Dawn has not been in the limelight. The film is cast with Dee Wallace (Ayla, The Nest), Vernon Wells (Camp Twilight, Commando), Courtney Gains (Children Of The Corn, Camp Cold Brook), and Bruce Davison (Itsy Bitsy, Along Came The Devil 2). And they have more than enough bloody deaths to cover for everything.
Still, even after winning numerous festival awards since 2019, there is practically nothing about it. I had not heard of it until someone told me, and why that is, is baffling especially considering the sheer amount of talentless recently hyped trash out there. That being said, mystery solves itself.
Zed’s (Vernon Wells) bar is one hour away from closing and is marked by a bit of demonic possession as well as shotgun carnage. All at the hands of Maggie (Hannah Strasser, I Am Jacob) who appears to be a sweet little girl until she speaks which reveals her true self in the form of her horrifying eyes.
Annie (Dee Wallace) and Stephen (Gregg Christie, D-railed) along with Dr. Hewitt (Courtney Gains) are taking their daughter, Jamie (Caitlyn Fletcher, Paranormal Captivity Jersey Devil), to a specialist to help her stop abusing drugs.
As if her world wasn’t bad enough, there is conflict between her brother Neal (Jonathan Stoddard, Voices, Last Night on Earth) and her best friend Lana (Gabrielle Stone, Stray). It is apparent that there is some history that he would like to relive and she would want to forget. All that gets put aside when Howard Phillips (Josh Server, The Haunting of Grady Farm) walks in and commandeers their RV. What’s pursuing him, however, is a far greater danger.
If Howard’s name didn’t give it away, Await the Dawn is not your everyday Christian demon movie. The thing that is within Maggie is not of this world. She unfortunately didn’t intend to bring the device that was meant to let us see her reality, but now that she is in her reality, it is clear that she does not want to go back.
Too bad for Maggie. Unfortunately for Await the Dawn, my hope for a rich concept didn’t manifest and instead follows the general outline of any demon thriller where Maggie lays siege to the RV and the survivors camp out in hopes of surviving the night. The big distinction is, that instead of some religious icon, it’s an electronic device that can keep evil at bay. It could send it back where it came from, but no one really knows.
Practically everything is missing when productions focus heavily on CGI at the expense of practical effects. As I stated, today’s audience is not gullible. For that reason, it makes sense to provide them with something a bit more real.”
Regardless of how disappointing Await the Dawn is, it is still a decently entertaining way to waste a few hours. And it is bloody, a head is ripped off, a face blown away. Ron (Chris Levine, No Way Out, Murder Syndicate) who, along with his girlfriend Emma (Lovlee Carroll, Candy Corn), happens to get in the mix of this tends to meet a particularly nasty fate.
The gore effects look quite professional and nicely applied. When Maggie finally discards the likeness of Howard’s daughter, her true form is nicely represented by Joy Goodman in some great practical make-up. Most of the CGI I noticed was only minimized, something I am always happy to see.
Screenwriter and Director Pablo Macho Maysonet IV does not give us anything novel in Await the Dawn. And I am definitely not suggesting that I had expected it to win awards in many festivals. But, it is entertaining which is a rarity in many of the films recently.
Await the Dawn has had its theatrical run in Vietnam. But I have no clue what the distribution plans are for other regions. Do follow the film’s Facebook page so you do not miss out on any announcements.
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