“Stay Awake” is a powerful new coming of age film that was written and directed by Jamie Sisley.
This is an American indie debut drama of uncommon empathy that is very much of the moment: a fictionalized account of the filmmaker’s coming of age, as he struggles to get out from under the yoke of a Michelle, prescription-drug-addicted mother in small-town Virginia.
Emmy-nominated actress Chrissy Metz (“This Is Us”) is devastating in the role of Michelle, and it is unlike anything she has ever done before. Metz is not afraid to be raw and vulnerable.
Wyatt Oleff (“City on Fire”) and Fin Argus (“Queer as Folk”) play teenage brothers stuck in a cycle of discovering their mom passed out, dragging her to the hospital, and encouraging rehab. Despair quickly turns to hope and then boomerangs back again. They are both able to sustain the viewer’s attention for the movie’s entire duration, and they deliver commanding and triumphant acting work.
“Stay Awake” showcases the detrimental impact of addition. It humanizes this subject matter and makes it relatable to viewers.
Particularly impressive about “Stay Awake” was that it was based on the filmmaker’s adolescence in small-town America; moreover, it is a personal exploration of the roller coaster ride that families go on while trying to help their loved ones battle a disease that affects millions of people each day.
This is a riveting story of two young men that are on a journey of self-discovery, and everybody in the cast offers something unique and refreshing to this movie. It is heartbreaking yet heartwarming at the same time (especially towards the end).
“Stay Awake” is an important story that needed to be told through the lens of Jamie Sisley. Wyatt Oleff and Fin Argus will blow the audience away. It garners two thumbs up.
To learn more about “Stay Awake,” visit its official website.
