The Awakening

The Awakening is a 2011 British horror film directed by Nick Murphy, starring Rebecca Hall, Dominic West, and Imelda Staunton.

Plot: The movie is set in 1921 England where Florence Cathcart (Rebecca Hall) is a published author on supernatural hoaxes who works with the police to expose charlatans and debunk supernatural phenomena, having begun her foray into her profession upon the death of her lover in World War I. Upon a visit from Robert Malory (Dominic West), a teacher from a boarding school with the request to investigate the recent death of a student and how it is related to sightings of a ghost of a child, she travels to the school hoping to explain the sightings and the death. The ghostly sightings are at first thought to be a prank played by one of the boys at the school. While Florence and Robert start developing a mutual attraction, the school is closed for holidays with the only occupants being Robert, Florence, Maud (Imelda Staunton) the housekeeper and Tom, a lonely orphan child. As unexplained supernatural events start to manifest, it is revealed towards the end that Tom is a ghost and is Florence's half brother and Maud's son. Florence and Tom grew up in the house that is now a boarding school. While Florence and Tom were young, their father became mad and killed Florence's mother, Tom and himself while also trying to kill Florence. Florence had blocked these memories of her childhood. Maud, who also sees Tom, explains that Tom is lonely and that he needs his family. So Maud poisons herself and Florence. Florence however tells Tom that she will not be happy if she dies now and that she will always be with Tom. Tom then helps Florence by bringing her medicine to throw up the poison.