Awareness Review (2023): Prime Video’s Sci-Fi Film With Flaws, But With Its Mythology
Cast: Carlos Scholz, María Pedraza, Pedro Alonso, Lela Loren, Óscar Jaenada
Director: Daniel Benmayor
Streaming Platform: Prime Video
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 3/5 (three stars) [yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Do you want an action film but also a sci-fi film, which challenges the laws of understanding and logic? Awareness is for you. Directed by Daniel Benmayor, with a screenplay by Benmayor, Iván Ledesma, and Manuel Burque, it tries to make up for the difficulties of narration with a well-curated visual appearance. It is produced by Federation Spain, Amazon Studios, and Dbemna Content, and will be available for streaming on Prime Video starting October 11, 2023. The Spanish sci-fi Awareness has just been presented at the Sitges Film Festival and is now arriving on Prime Video, which promises to be one of the flagship sci-fi titles of the season. As often happens with most films of this genre, the basic idea is brilliant: for all those who are obsessed with the power of the mind and its infinite possibilities, the story of a boy capable of creating mirages in others is a good starting point.
Add in secrets, international organizations, chases, and hand-to-hand combat, and you have a new action thriller to watch. However, as with most sci-fi films that fail to hit the mark, this isn’t enough to make it a worthwhile film. It is precisely this list of “everything a science fiction film should have” that ultimately distances the film from the onerous goal of being a notable title. However, as we will see in this review of Awareness, the film is pure entertainment and sows the seeds for a universe worth exploring, also thanks to its visual power.
Awareness Review (2023): The Story Plot
Ian is a rebellious teenager who lives with his father on the fringes of society. The two, united but not very talkative, survive thanks to small scams, taking advantage of Ian’s extraordinary ability to project visual illusions into the minds of others, a power he doesn’t know how he acquired it. Ian is 18 years old and would like to start living like a normal boy, using his powers to settle down. Of his mother, he only knows what his father tells him. He does not know, however, that he is under observation. After losing control of his powers in public, a mysterious secret agency begins hunting him. During his escape, Ian will discover that he is not the only one and that his whole life has been a lie, he will have to manage his emotions and his powers and understand what is true and what is not and who he can trust.
Awareness is set in a dystopian future, in which among us there is a series of people different from the rest and with special powers, the so-called Receivers. Ian is one of these receivers, although he doesn’t know it yet, but he uses his special abilities to scam people together with his father. Projecting illusions onto others is just one of the many talents that he uses to get ahead with his father in a life on the fringes of society. One day, however, one of his tricks goes wrong and Ian is exposed, starting to be chased by two antagonistic companies who have the common goal of taking possession of him, the Agency and the Conscience. Thus begins an escape of no return in which Ian will discover his true powers, but also that he is not the only one who possesses them.
From here on, the film moves in a story full of particular characters and with many twists and deceptions, thanks to the aforementioned powers. Some work better than others, no doubt, and in some places, the story itself is rather confusing. However, the overall result, in its simplicity, works, especially because it also has the budget to do so, and you can see this right from the start with the police chase sequence through the city streets. Awareness can’t compete with a Hollywood blockbuster in terms of budget, but it knows how to stick to what it has, which is more than enough for the story it wants to tell.
Awareness Review (2023) and Analysis
Pure entertainment, this is what Awareness offers to viewers subscribed to the Prime Video streaming platform service, and despite the intention of enriching an action and intrigue plot with more psychological and personal elements, Daniel Benmayor ‘s film certainly goes taken for what it is so as not to be disappointed by inconsistencies and superficiality. From the start the game presents itself in an intriguing way with the promise of fascinating ‘magic’ from a couple of ‘third division’ protagonists who it is not easy to predict will not remain hidden for long among the chickens of the abandoned boat where they live. There is no lack of spectacularity in the evolution of their story, which is gradually more and more complex due to the arrival of Perceptors, Conscience (the Awareness of the title is a very specific organization), and the various family figures that revolve around the young protagonist.
Which for many will bring to mind Luc Besson’s Lucy or 2006’s Stormbreaker, other titles in which many of the protagonists’ conflicts ended up being rather approximate. It was probably the initial intention to avoid exploiting the possibilities offered by the drama, as confirmed by the humor that interrupts the development here and there. In which we note the care taken to include interesting ideas and themes (from social and political criticism to the importance of emotions in the creative process) and to make people reflect on how the ‘real’ power today is that of being able to create a lie to which everyone believes. Something to which we are accustomed, which is not trivial to see translated in such a mainstream and digestible way into a long video game in which – even in the directorial choices – the deceptions overwhelm reality. And much more, unfortunately.
Starting from the female figures, even important ones, poorly characterized and reduced (even functionally, as you will see later) to two-dimensional heroines. Like the blonde María Pedraza in Money Heist, she is always fascinating even in the highly detailed and not very credible choreographies which, like many other turning points in the story, often have the sole merit of allowing the story to progress. For now, the director denies there has been any talk of a sequel, and at the same time denies denying it, but looking at the ending of the film, the ‘series’ risk is there. Benmayor had already presented to the public the interesting Xtremo, a Spanish martial arts film with some truly brilliant action scenes. With Awareness, he raises the stakes by adding more action, more visual spectacle, and a better script. A step in a surprising direction that will appeal to anyone who approaches the genre without prejudice and is purely interested in having fun.
Having names like Óscar Jaenada or Pedro Alonso is always an advantage for a film like this and above all Jaenada lends himself with commitment to action and martial arts scenes. Carlos Scholz and María Pedraza shine in the lead roles, dedicating themselves to the intense hand-to-hand combat that is part of the soul of this story. Awareness is a science fiction film that draws inspiration from manga first and foremost and superhero cinema in particular, developing a story in which special effects are fundamental to giving the necessary spectacularity to the situations presented to us. Nothing to complain about on this level, because there are sequences that appear extraordinary, playing with some interesting concepts that make you question what is real and what is a blatant lie. Perhaps the real strength of Daniel Benmayor and screenwriter Iván Ledesma is precisely that of having managed to create their mythology with Awareness. Not too complex, not too innovative, but with its ideology, rules, and precise language, which could leave an impact on the public.
Awareness Review (2023): The Last Words
As a futuristic thriller, Awareness has some interesting ideas, which should be highlighted especially since it is a European production. Not always up to its objectives, the film can still surprise with good visual insights. Overall, Awareness is a well-made film with a lot to offer. It’s not without its flaws, but it’s worth watching if you’re a fan of science fiction and thrillers. Overall, Awareness is a mixed bag. It has a lot of potential, but it ultimately falls short due to its convoluted story and underdeveloped characters. However, it’s still a well-made film with a lot to offer, and it’s worth watching if you’re a fan of science fiction and thrillers.
Awareness Review (2023): Prime Video’s Sci-Fi Film With Flaws, But With Its Mythology - Filmyhype
Director: Daniel Benmayor
Date Created: 2023-10-11 14:32
3
Pros
- Intriguing premise
- Fast-paced plot
- Stylish visuals
- Thought-provoking themes
Cons
- Convoluted story
- Underdeveloped characters
