Awake

The plot of the psychological thriller Awake turns on a terrifying premise: a statistic that one in every 700 people who receives anesthesia before surgery will remain alert and aware during the procedure—but paralyzed and unable to call for help. In this case, the "awake" patient is Clayton Beresford, Jr. (Hayden Christensen), a young business mogul with the world at his feet. He's inherited a massive corporation—and the hundred million dollar bank account that goes with it—and has snatched up an absurdly hot new wife (Jessica Alba). However, Clay fears the judgment of his domineering mother (Lena Olin), from whom he's kept his marriage a secret. Oh, and he also has a rather unfortunate heart condition that will kill him long before his time—unless he receives a transplant. But, thanks to the phenomenon of anesthetic awareness, it's precisely while Clay is undergoing this life-saving procedure that he learns just how many problems he really has. In the absence of special effects, first time writer-director Joby Harold comes up with an original device to move the plot forward and allow Clay to unravel the mystery surrounding him. The film is tight and suspenseful with a couple of truly surprising twists. And, while some O.R. scenes are not for the squeamish, it never crosses over into cheesy horror flick territory. Alba's always pleasing to watch, and Christensen's subtle performance is light years from his wooden Anakin Skywalker. Terrence Howard shows he's still expert at getting a single tear to roll down his cheek. At its best, this tense, nerve-racking movie will make you think twice—or three times—before scheduling that wisdom tooth extraction.