The film stars Rebecca Hall as a writer and ghost hunter who investigates the haunting of a boys' boarding school in post-World War I England.

It is revealed that she lost her fiancé in the First World War and that she "hunts" ghosts in an attempt to see if it is possible to bring him back.

She receives a visit from Robert Mallory, a teacher from a boys' boarding school in Cumbria that had been a private home until 20 years earlier.

After she conducts an investigation on her first night at the school, Florence comes to the conclusion that the sightings are the result of a prank, as two pupils had bullied a third into dressing as a ghost.

With regard to the recent death, one of the teachers admits that he had forced the deceased pupil to stand outside the school in order to toughen him up after he claimed to have seen the ghost, thus scaring the young boy and causing him to have a fatal asthma attack.

The school then closes for half-term with the only occupants being Florence, Robert, Maud, and Tom, a pupil whose parents live in India.

But Edward Judd, the groundskeeper who has a grudge against Robert for being a war hero, becomes jealous and attempts to rape Florence in the woods.

She then asks Robert to tell their driver to pull up at the end of the drive since she has always enjoyed the walk, and that she will see him on Saturday week.

The site's consensus reads: "The Awakening never quite quickens the pulse the way it should, yet it remains a well-acted and handsomely assembled example of an old-fashioned supernatural thriller.

"[9] Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph rated the film 4/5 stars and called it "a chilling ghost story plotted like a mystery.

"[10] Scott Weinberg of Fearnet wrote that the film is a beautiful, satisfying, and concise ghost story with good performances, particularly from Rebecca Hall.

[13] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian rated it 3/5 stars and wrote that the film is "creepy and disturbing, but is let down by a contrived ending".

[14] Roger Ebert rated it 1.5/4 stars and wrote that the film "looks great but never develops a plot with enough clarity to engage us, and the solution to the mystery is I am afraid disappointingly standard.