Waking Karma (2023) by Carlos Montaner and Liz Fania Wener

Director: Carlos Montaner, Liz Fania Wener

Year: 2023

Country: USA

Alternate Titles: N/A

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Plot:

On the eve of her birthday, a woman and her mother flee the city to a remote compound in the woods to hide from her estranged husband that's looking to capitalize on a prophecy his cult is looking to establish her at the center of it and goes to extreme lengths to carry it out.

Review:

There really isn't a whole lot here that's worthwhile. About the only factor that works here is the initial setup present that introduces the cult and the mysterious properties that it carries here. This is handled quite well and establishes the sect as full of religious oppression and dominance as they take her to task with the various trials and tribulations that take place at the compound which makes a lot of the torments and tortures that take place in that section. This section keeps the film moving along as the gradual reveal of their purpose for finding her and starting on their journey so the psychological torment inflicted here becomes quite chilling.

Beyond that, this one doesn't do much to really stand out. The whole affair is wrapped up with a rather unlikable air as everyone here just wanders through a dull atmosphere of not really caring about any of the rituals she's put through. Hardly anything here that takes place has any sense of ominous urgency since it all gets revealed at the end so that gives the antics on display feels like there's no impact or emotional resonance which lessens the impact beyond the point of caring about anything. This causes the film to plod along to an inevitable and predictable conclusion which is just as lackluster as the rest of the film and really makes this quite underwhelming.

Overview: */5

A generally underwhelming effort without much to like about it, this one doesn't have much to like about it and a ton of flaws to keep it down which ends up making this a disappointment. This is really only for those who are intrigued by the material or are fans of the creative crew while most others who aren't into those factors should heed caution.