Vague Visages’ Dead Before They Wake review contains minor spoilers. Andy Crane and Nathan Shepka’s 2025 movie on Amazon and Apple features the aforementioned Shepka, Grace Cordell and Manjot Sumal. Check out the VV home page for more film criticism, movie reviews and film essays.

Do you have a loyal friend or family member with a rough exterior and a warm heart? If so, check out Dead Before They Wake, a 2025 thriller directed by Andy Crane and Nathan Shepka. Personally, the film reminds me of the early work by Danish auteur Nicolas Winding Refn — specifically the  “Pusher” trilogy (1996-2005), which preceded more popular productions like Drive (2011), Only God Forgives (2013) and The Neon Demon (2016). Shepka, who wrote the 108-minute movie (set in the UK), stars as Alex, a roughneck bouncer tasked with investigating a sex trafficking ring and rescuing a young girl. Full disclosure: Dead Before They Wake isn’t for everybody — it’s violent, bloody and full of questionable acting moments. But it’s the heart and soul that matters, along with the directorial consistency and the rather impressive screenplay.

The bad news first: Dead Before They Wake suffers from significant editing issues. Right from the jump, there’s an awkward exterior sequence in which Alex confronts two creeps. Later, as the protagonist bruises up baddies during interior scenes, there’s a lack of fluidity and logic in the directorial execution. It’s almost like the actors focused on the action choreography more than the actual nuts and bolts of their performances. For example, there are two moments when Alex kicks ass, exits a room and essentially waits for an awaiting baddie character to do his thing. It all results in rough directorial execution, weak pacing and poor acting. These moments will presumably feel purely amateurish to high-brow critics, but I view them as valuable learning lessons for Crane and Shepka moving forward.

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Dead Before They Wake differentiates itself from most hard-nosed thrillers through its supporting characters. Alex, who openly acknowledges his poor interpersonal skills, communicates with his deaf father via sign language. During the film’s middle section, the protagonist opens up to his female love interest, Gemma (the wonderful Grace Cordell) — a teacher/exotic dancer who desperately needs rent money. And there’s another supporting player who also communicates with Alex via sign language, which demonstrates that Shepka didn’t feel the need to force archetypal characters into his script, just for the sake of checking off boxes to appease far-left film critics. Every supporting character in Dead Before They Wake receives a proper arc, and Manjot Sumal arguably delivers the best performance as a conflicted father/criminal named Amar, though the aforementioned Cordell steals most of her scenes opposite Shepka. There’s genuine chemistry between the two leads, and the directors don’t hold back with their raw approach during the most intimate moments. This only adds to the gritty authenticity of the film.

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I wonder what the great Martin Scorsese would think about Dead Before They Wake. He’s not a filmmaker who scoffs at unpolished films but rather acknowledges the “cinema” of it all. Again, Dead Before They Wake features some moments that could inspire walk-outs (or turn-offs). Believe me, though, there’s some impressive John Wick-style choreography (not nearly as good but still strong), a little Quentin Tarantino-like violence (in the Spaghetti Western sort of way) and also plenty of heartfelt moments à la John Cassavetes’ best crime thrillers. If you know, you know.

Crane and Shepka’s exploration of the human condition in Dead Before They Wake justifies a second watch, though their cinematography could use some work the next time around, in terms of establishing a specific style.

Dead Before They Wake premiered in the United States on January 7, 2025 and released digitally in the UK on January 27, 2025.

Q.V. Hough (@QVHough) is Vague Visages’ founding editor. Thank you for reading film criticism, movie reviews and film essays at Vague Visages.

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