Watch: ‘Are You Awake?’ – Thrilling Short About Nightmares & Dread
by Alex Billington
February 7, 2024
Source: YouTube
“The dream is always the same: I come home, and I can tell someone is inside. I follow the light, and my mouth tastes like metal…” Damn this is good! A must watch new sci-fi short film titled Are You Awake? is available online. Written & directed by Cuban-American filmmaker Gabriel Caste, this initially premiered at festivals last year and has been playing on the circuit for a while. In this psychological thriller, a detached woman working as a door-to-door wake-up caller to wake people up encounters a client refusing to leave his bed, who recounts his terrible nightmares. He explains he’s been plagued by nightmares, and refuses to get out of bed. Though Dale feels obligated to convince him otherwise, she can’t help but form a pitiful kinship with the man paralyzed by his own dreams. Starring Ellyn Jameson as Dale and Paul Archer as Bradley. This is shot well, with a few compelling performances, and a fascinating concept that will keep you hooked watching all the way to the end. Top notch work from Caste and his whole team! Need to see more from him.
Thanks to Short of the Week for the tip on this. Intro via YouTube: “When Dale, a detached woman making a living by waking strangers, enters Bradley’s (Paul Archer) messy home she forms a pitiful kinship with a man who is paralyzed by his own dreams.” Are You Awake? is both written and directed by Cuban-American filmmaker / VFX artist / editor Gabriel Caste – you can see more of his work on his Vimeo page or visit his official website or follow him on IG @gabecaste. He also directed the “Slice of Lonely” TV series. The short is produced by Gabriel Caste, Lauren Altieri Caste, and Alex Exline. Featuring cinematography by Ian Coad, and music by Paul Sim. This initially premiered at the 2023 Santa Barbara Film Festival last year. “A deeply intimate story following a person who no longer sees the point of it all. With sprinkles of sci-fi and mystery, the film highlights the dread of staleness, the impact of a bad idea, and the role of companionship in a world weary to step outside.” For details visit SOTW or Gabriel’s site. To watch more shorts, click here. Thoughts?
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