Wake Wood (4 Stars)

I'm not sure about the spelling. The film is called "Wake Wood", but it takes place in the village of Wakewood, spelt as one word. Maybe the title of the film is incorrect, maybe it's a word play. I don't know.

Patrick and Louise are married with a daughter called Alice. Patrick is a vet, and he moves to a small farming village called Wakewood, taking his family with him. On her ninth birthday Alice is killed by a dog. A year later Patrick and Louise are out at night when their car breaks down. They go to a farmhouse where they see what they think is a cult. Over the next few days they discover that the whole village has a collective secret. They decide to leave the village, but the villagers offer to bring Alice back to life for a few days if they promise to remain for the rest of their lives. Alice is reincarnated, but something has gone wrong and she goes on a murderous rampage through the village.

As far as I know, this is the first Irish film I've ever watched. I've seen several films set in Ireland, but they're either English or American films. This is a real Irish film made by an Irish film company. I assume the Irish film industry is very small compared with that of other countries. The slow pacing of the film and the use of minimalist music to build up suspense immediately reminded me of Scandinavian horror films. While watching the final credits I saw that the film has Swedish co-producers and advisers. The influence is obvious.

An interesting film. Very enjoyable. Maybe not a classic, but good viewing for those who enjoy well made low budget horror films with an emphasis on suspense rather than gore.