There's no rest for the weary in "Awake." In this riveting new film,
a catastrophic global event takes down all the world's electronics and deprives mankind
of the ability to sleep, turning every day into a waking nightmare. Without being able to recharge,
the population becomes increasingly unhinged, and soon every corner of the world erupts into chaos.
Ariana Greenblatt stars in the film as Matilda,
a mysterious little girl who might just be the key to stopping the madness.
"I can sleep. I can sleep."
Unlike everyone else, Matilda has no trouble falling asleep,
and it's up to her mother Jill to guide the girl to safety -- and potentially save the world.
As you watch this harrowing ordeal unfold, you might recognize Greenblatt from other
projects. After all, Greenblatt is one of the most prodigious young actresses in the business,
and she's stolen the scene in several high-profile pictures in the recent past.
Here's why Matilda from "Awake" looks so familiar.
After taking on a few guest roles in kids' shows like "Liv and Maddie: Cali Style,"
Greenblatt got her first big break on the family comedy series "Stuck in the Middle," which ran for
three seasons from 2016 to 2018. Greenblatt stars in the show as Daphne Diaz, who, despite being the
youngest of seven children, is hardly a pushover when it comes to dealing with her elder siblings.
Greenblatt imbues Daphne with an indomitable spirit and an unshakable sense of self-confidence.
Between her delightfully strange sense of style, her no-nonsense attitude,
and her relentless pursuit of attention, Daphne is a highly memorable character,
and Greenblatt's performance makes every single scene she appears in a must-watch.
"Ever heard of 'you break it, you buy it?'
This is 'you butt it, you buy it!' Once you put your tushy on food, it's yours!"
Greenblatt made her feature film debut in the 2017 comedy "A Bad Moms Christmas."
The film, which is a sequel to 2016’s delightfully rowdy "Bad Moms,"
features a trio of mothers who commiserate over their holiday woes.
Even though Greenblatt is surrounded by stars like Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn,
the young actress stands out as a comedic tour-de-force.
"No, honey, those were happy screams."
"They didn't sound happy. And then you punched the wall and yelled the F word."
Not only does this pic prove that Greenblatt can hold her own among A-list talent,
but it also reveals her knack for adult-friendly comedy.
It's not often that an actor gets a chance to become a part of the Marvel Cinematic
Universe when they're barely in the double digits, but that's exactly what happened to
Greenblatt when she joined the cast of the 2018 blockbuster "Avengers: Infinity War."
Greenblatt appears in the superhero epic as the younger version of Gamora,
who uses her tiny fists to fight back when Thanos and his Black Order attack her home planet.
While Thanos and his minions are merciless in mowing down the population,
Thanos takes notice of Gamora's fighting spirit and decides to adopt her as his own daughter.
"What's your name?"
"Gamora."
"You're quite the fighter, Gamora."
As young Gamora, Greenblatt deftly captures actress Zoe Saldana's ferocity,
but she also reveals the character's vulnerability, making the character's
backstory and her forced familial relationship with Thanos into a true tragedy.
Greenblatt's career continued with a standout role in the 2020 action-adventure film "The One and
Only Ivan," which tells the story of a gorilla who is trapped at a shopping mall circus and
yearns for freedom. Greenblatt stars in the film as Julia, the daughter of the circus' custodian,
who develops a bond with this special animal and encourages him to use art to express himself.
Greenblatt is an animal lover and has a fondness for art,
so she had a lot in common with her character from the get-go.
Greenblatt also had experience working opposite a CGI character thanks to her "Infinity War" stint,
allowing her to bring real emotion to moments in which her scene partner didn't actually exist.
"I think she likes me!"
"What do you think Ivan?"
"How about that? That's the real me right there."
Another great showcase for Greenblatt's talent is "Love and Monsters."
As in "Awake," Greenblatt plays a shrewd survivor of an apocalyptic event in the movie,
although this crisis is a little different: in "Love and Monsters,"
radioactive fallout turns all of the world's cold-blooded creatures into giant monsters.
Greenblatt's Minnow is the companion to Michael Rooker's Clyde when they cross paths with Dylan
O'Brien's Joel. While Clyde and Minnow have both endured terrible tragedies,
they've also become experts on all of the creepy-crawlies wandering the world,
and know exactly how to hack it in the newly wild outdoors.
"It's nice to know that thing's not following us anymore."
"Oh, no no no, it's definitely following us. Just saw it. Chumbler."
"I knew it."
"Big sonofabitch, too."
"Big suminabitch."
As always, Greenblatt has screen presence to spare, and she is completely convincing
as a young woman who is just as tough and tenacious as her older sidekicks.
"You're lucky we weren't monsters. You were yelling like a girl.
'Oh, this is bad, this is so bad.'"
"Okay, I don't sound like that."
"My voice is not that high-pitched."
"Yes it is."
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