The Awakening of the Beast

Awakening of the Beast collapses under the weight of its own ambitions.

While technically a Coffin Joe film, Awakening of the Beast marks a stark departure from the formula of its two predecessors. Instead of Joe’s usual quest for the perfect woman to bear him a son, Awakening of the Beast tries to deliver a social commentary on drugs and morality, with Joe as only a peripheral figure, an iconic, dream stalking, boogeyman.

The plot sees a psychiatrist give four drug addicts from various walks of life LSD and document their reactions to a Coffin Joe film.

Writer/director/star José Mojica Marins aspires to social commentar but too often veers into exploitation. This dilutes what could have been a much more powerful film. There are hints of greatness here, but they’re buried in a mess of camera tricks, gratuitous violence, and nudity.

Still, Awakening of the Beast is a film unlike any you’ve probably seen and for some that will undoubtedly be enough of a recommendation, but fans of the earlier Coffin Joe pictures expecting a similar horror experience will likely be disappointed.