Stephen Baldwin can't sleep, but you, the viewer, will have no trouble nodding off. Annoying flashbacks, daydreaming, and over stylized drivel, would best describe "Dead Awake". Having quirky characters on parade, spouting quirky dialog, in a movie that is such a confusing mess, how can you stop the nightmare? Simple, live with the fast forward button, because you will miss nothing, and save valuable time, instead of wasting it on this nonsense. I think the fun house mirror visual effects were the most annoying part of the film, or was it the ridiculous script, or was it the intolerable editing, or was it the dialog drivel? Without any doubt, it was all of the above. - MERK

OK...so first of all i got this on DVD...really cheap. and after watching it i can understand why some people would dislike it. because its the kind of film that isn't exactly mainstream and the humour is very off-beat.but anyway...i watched it...and i loved it...i think the actors are all very well cast and i think Stephen Baldwin plays his character, Desmand ( an insomniac) very well. i found some of the scenes to be all over the place...but it worked, and the soundtrack, at times...is some what crazy. the thing that got me the most about this movie is the fact that it was a dark comedy?...i had no idea?...but thats what made me really enjoy this film because its a bit on the eccentric side. i also loved the ending, it wasn't what i was expecting!i think if you come across this movie on TV or for a cheap price, then give it a go, because you might enjoy it! if you cant get into the plot then the humour may carry you through :) (9/10)

This was a pretty good little thriller. The idea revolving around insomniac Desmond Caine, who wonders the streets at night and witnesses a murder, was good. Did he really see a murder, or is his brain playing tricks on him. It soon becomes apparant that he did really see a murder, which he becomes the lead suspect for, and his life is then in danger.This is a well paced and soldily directed thriller with good twists and it has a dark and funny comical edge to it. The good thing about this film was that it had a fairly original idea and the film is entertaining. The end was kind of a let down in some ways though. I do think this idea had the potential to be a really good dark and eerie thriller, ore of a horror, while this is more of a quirky thriller.The cast is good. Stephan Baldwin is good in the lead, as is the gorgeous Maxim Roy as his wife. It is Michael Ironside who steal the show though, he is excellent as one of the strange characters that Desmond meets on his nightly journeys.Overall this was solid and watchable but most definately not best way to have handled a great idea (much like the handling of Schwarzeneggers 6th day), but it certainly wasn't the worst. 6/10

"Dead Awake" tells of a corporate marketing visionary/maven and insomniac (Baldwin) who sleeps with his eyes open at work by day and hangs out in a diner with some peculiar blue-collar types by night and gets entangled in murder and other mischief. The film sneers at traditional character development while painting an unlikely portrait of human nature on it's untra-hip neo-noir canvass. Somewhat interesting because of it's sharp creative edge, this nominal whodunit is less believable than entertaining. Okay for flick junkies who care more about the "sizzle" than the "steak".