Release: Phantasm: Awakening

 

Phantasm: Awakening

Genre: Horror/Fantasy

Director: David Robert Mitchell

Producer: JJ Abrams

Writers: Roy Horne & John Malone

Based on the film series

Cast: Wyatt Oleff, Joe Keery, Wyatt Russell, Christopher Heyerdahl, Lulu Wilson, Meg Foster, Elizabeth Lail, Dean Norris

Budget: $50,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $106,339,595

Foreign Box Office: $65,650,454

Total Profit: $60,017,797

Reaction: This one - the first collaboration between Horne and Malone - turned out to be quite the successful horror reboot of the cult franchise. This film was reportedly conceived as the first film in a trilogy, which the studio is confident saying has the green light now.

"Phantasm: Awakening resurrects the cult horror franchise with a fresh cast while maintaining its surreal interdimensional horror roots. Joe Keery and Wyatt Oleff deliver compelling performances as brothers battling the iconic Tall Man and his sentinel spheres, creating genuine emotional stakes amid supernatural chaos. The film's strengths lie in its atmospheric tension and intriguing cosmic horror elements, particularly the haunting Red Planet sequences. Despite a derivative plot and predictable narrative, the movie offers enough nostalgic thrills and sibling sacrifice to satisfy genre fans." - Ted Milo, Montasefilm

"Director David Robert Mitchell's latest is a well-told reimagining of the cult classic Phantasm series that shines mostly through its capable cast, anchored by a great villain performance from Christopher Heyerdahl. The results are solid, although it doesn't branch out much from the original." - Liv Simmons, Rogue River Press

"Phantasm: Awakening successfully reanimates the eerie, dreamlike terror of Don Coscarelli's 1979 cult classic while expanding its mythos for a new generation. The film retains the surreal, nightmare logic that made the original so haunting. The performances are all top-notch, especially Christopher Heyerdahl’s portrayal of the Tall Man is chilling, paying homage to the late Angus Scrimm without simply imitating him. While it may not surpass the sheer dread of Coscarelli’s masterpiece, Phantasm: Awakening is a worthy successor that respects the source material while carving out its own sinister identity." - Ken Hammerschmidt, Washington Post

Rated R for strong horror violence, disturbing images, language, and brief nudity.