This film has a huge heart. Its strength lies in the three leads, Chrissy Metz, Wyatt Oleff and Fin Argus. It's understated, authentic and thank goodness didn't devolve into an Afterschool Special.

My only beef with the film was that they set up the possibility of the younger son confronting the doctor responsible for turning his mother into an addict but didn't deliver. The heartache that the brothers endured as a result of their mother disappointing them time and time again was real and I ached for them.

One subplot was a great example of subtext dealing with the youngest brother dealing with his sexuality but unable to truly express himself because he was trapped in a small town. Oleff handled the scenes like a true pro. Understated and poignant.

We need less superhero movies and more stories about the subject.

This is a great indie film about addiction. As the filmmaker himself said, it doesn't focus on the addict, but, instead, the people around. Here, our two heroes suffer their mom's drug addiction. The script is great, well paced and most important, the characters are very engaging, it's easy to identify with them and we're engaged from the beginning to the end. The story seems simple, basic but is never boring and finally is complex, the relations are much more complex than what they seem to be. The cast is flawless, Wyatt Oleff, Fin Argus and Chrissy Metz give all three solid, perfect performances. STAY AWAKE is not a film that you'll forget soon after watching it.