Wake (2023) – Review and Summary
As usual, a person with a mental illness ends up killing people, with the only difference in “Wake” being that person is a rapper.
General Information
| Director(s) | Erik White |
| Screenplay By | Darryl J. Quarrles |
| Based On Story By | Darryl J. Quarrles |
| Date Released (BET Plus) | October 12, 2023 |
| Genre(s) | Crime |
| Film Length | 1 Hour 24 Minutes |
| Content Rating | Rated TV-MA |
| Noted Characters and Cast | |
| Sarita | Shoniqua Shandai |
| Eddie | Deray Davis |
| P-Mac | J. Alphonse Nicholson |
| Byrn | Parker McKenna Posey |
Content Rating Explanation
“Wake” contains:
- Dialog: Cursing
- Violence: gun violence, open wounds, domestic violence, depiction or murder
- Sexual Content: scantily clad women
- Miscellaneous: drinking and smoking
Film Summary
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Due to having narcolepsy, Dr. Sarita Matthews doesn’t stray too far from home, unless her cousin Eddie accompanies her. This has led to her dating life and social life being limited, but she is thankfully able to still teach at MIT remotely. But, all her focus shifts to her neighbor, popular rapper P-Mac when he moves in next door.
Why? Due to Dr. Matthews suffering from hallucinations. The hallucinations and P-Mac flirting with Dr. Matthews’ friend and crush, Byrn, cause issues. Never mind, P-Mac has a history of domestic violence, and with that, Dr. Matthews, mainly in trying to keep her crush from dating anyone, keeps a close eye on P-Mac and often believes he is doing something nefarious.
Character Descriptions
Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.
Sarita
Sporting three advanced degrees, and teaching physica and advanced physical science at MIT often keeps Dr. Sarita Matthews busy. However, with narcolepsy plaguing her, she often doesn’t travel, feels limited in her ability to date, so she stays in her Short Hills, New Jersey home usually, or close by to it.
Eddie
Eddie is Sarita’s cousin who looks out for her and handles the tasks she may not be able to due to fears of passing out.
- The actor is also known for their role in “How To Act Black” and their role in “The Chi.”
P-Mac
A popular rapper with a violent streak, P-Max, government name Preston, has anger issues stemming from his childhood, alongside bipolar disorder, which makes him volatile.
- The actor is also known for their role in “P-Valley,” their role in “White Men Can’t Jump (2023),” and their role in “Self Made: Inspired By The Life of Madam C.J. Walker.”
Byrn
Byrn is a nurse who lives in Sarita’s neighborhood, is recently divorced, and everyone’s crush, including Sarita’s.
Review
Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)
On The Fence
Eddie Was Corny
I mean, it’s DeRay Davis. He plays a useful role as Eddie to Sarita, but also the kind of character who easily becomes annoying as hell. Especially since Eddie is always joking with Sarita regarding her disability, hallucinations, and just about anything you can name. Which, yes, makes him seem more real than a character, but it doesn’t lessen how the string of corny jokes never had a sense of luster and were just annoying from the jump.
Preston’s Backstory & How His Mental Illness Was Handled
There is no sense of Preston being a complicated character whatsoever. He’s a rapper with mommy issues who takes after his father’s willingness for domestic violence, and he is bipolar and refuses to take his medication. There are no layers to him, and having a bland villain like him, with no sign he is trying to change or be better was a bit of a bore.
Sarita
Is making her narcoleptic and mentioning some of the symptoms and challenges she has interesting? Only a little. It rarely elevates beyond feeling like a gimmick, especially when she passes out at the absolute worst time and wakes up with a joke to play off the situation or a joke from Eddie.
But, points to BET for having a lead who was a lesbian and the hero.
Who Is This For?
If you are someone who just loves seeing Black people in thrillers, this is for you.
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