Kisskh | The Awakening: A Cursed Jungle Across 500 Years
In 2026, two time periods separated by 500 years and connected by the same perilous stretch of jungle are joined in The Awakening, an action-horror film out of Colombia.
A special forces team in present day Colombia is inserted into an isolated region to capture an enemy of the state. They immediately run into trouble when they encounter mysterious obstacles that prevent them from fulfilling their mission.
Five hundred years prior, Spanish conquistadors ran into similar obstacles in that same region of Colombia.
Movements between the two time periods allow The Awakening to establish the jungle itself as the link that connects the past and present. The American digital release of the film by Well Go USA Entertainment is slated for November 10, 2026. (Todos os Nossos Filmes)
A Military Mission Enters The Colombian Jungle
The modern story tells of a special forces mission into the heart of the jungle.
Typically when a military unit goes on a mission they know the dangers they will likely face. This unit has an objective and is prepared to face a known enemy.
This certainty will soon disappear.
In the official synopsis, it is stated that an evil force emerges from the darkness and transforms the mission into a battle to survive. (Todos os Nossos Filmes)
Audiences searching kisskhs for The Awakening will discover a film combining action, fantasy and horror from Colombia, 2026.
As the plot moves along, the focus shifts away from military tactics, and more toward the supernatural and mystical forces at play within the jungle.
The Story Goes Back 500 Years
The second timeline jumps about five centuries earlier and centers on a Spanish conquistador expedition.
Like the modern soldiers, they come into contact with a force that threatens them.
As such, The Awakening builds its story through repetition.
In the second act, two different groups make an entry into the territory. Both groups come into the territory with the assumption that they can control or understand it. Ultimately, they find out that something that is even older has laid claim to that territory.
As Hostile Environment and the same Curse has Connected both Invasions (Todos os Nossos Filmes), Well Go USA's description of the two incursions brings back the same hostile environment and the same curse that plagued the invasion.
The repetitive structure continues throughout the historical timeline of The Awakening.
The repeated sequence emphasizes that the modern members of the unit have entered a longstanding conflict that happened before they were born.
Claudio Cataño and Alejandro Buitrago Lead the Ensemble
Claudio Cataño plays Rojas and Alejandro Buitrago plays Diaz.
Andrea Olaya plays Pardo, Héctor Sánchez plays Doc and Salvador Bridges plays the Captain. Jaisson Jeack plays Jackson, Carlos Mariño plays Matías and Andrés Londoño plays Castillo. (Pro Imagens Colombia)
Ricardo Leguizamo and Quique Sanmartín are also part of the large ensemble cast.
Because of the large ensemble cast, the structure of the film lends itself to the group survival theme.
It does not focus on a single individual and build the rest of the story around that person. Instead, it focuses on a group of people who enter the jungle together and, in the process, ultimately begin to act in different ways and behave in strange and unusual ways.
Three Film Directors Share Credit
According to current records kept by the Colombian film industry, Jaime Osorio Márquez, Federico Durán and José Luis Rugeles hold directing credits.
Osorio Márquez and Durán also worked on the screenplay with Guillermo Escalona. Federico Durán also receives credit as a producer with Pro Imagens Colombia.
Rhayuela Films is the production company.
Matías Nicolás and Santiago Sánchez serve as directors of photography. Other credits include: Production Designer Oscar Navarro; Music by Cami Escobar, Camilo Sanabria and Peter Salmang.
Runtime for the feature is 96 minutes.
A deft handling of the 'jungle' Location
The location plays a crucial role. The jungle, in this case, is less of a backdrop and more of an active participant in the story. The jungle, in fact, ties both stories together. The long, rich history of the jungle creates an atmosphere in which crossing into that territory means entering a realm of the unknown and perhaps a realm of the unexplained.
The present day soldiers offer the action sequences, and the framework of a war film. The Conquistadors offer a historical account. The unexplained ancient force pushes the film toward supernatural horror and fantasy.
The promotional material focuses on leaving 'that force' unnamed, to push the supernatural elements. Therefore, it is a disservice to the film to declare what the 'curse' is, exactly how it came to be, or to otherwise attempt to explain the two storylines.
For viewers finding the title through searches involving kisskhg, the confirmed cast information is much more substantial now than it was during the film's early development.
The Awakening Comes Digitally November 10
Well Go USA Entertainment will release The Awakening digitally on November 10, 2026. The Blu-ray and DVD releases are scheduled for December 15.
The film is a production of Colombia and has been released in Spain with English subtitles.
Domestically, the film was theatrically released on October 29, 2026.
One disturbing idea forms the basis for this film.
There is a modern-day military squad who ventures into the jungle only to stumble upon an even older military squad who also journeyed into the jungle and went to face an equally disturbing and unexplained phenomenon.
Instead of recounting history for entertainment purposes, The Awakening seeks to turn history into a lesson.
Even though the reasons and the gear that enables and allows people to enter into the jungle may change throughout the centuries, it seems that what awaits them in the jungle has been there for an extremely long time.