Lazarus: The Awakening (2026) Review: A Resurrected Vigilante Meets Low-Budget Limits

This Lazarus: The Awakening review looks at a small-scale action film about a man who returns from the grave to fight a city's drug trade. Directed by Art Camacho, it runs a lean 87 minutes and puts its faith in a single lead performance. Early audience reaction is thin and mixed, so here is what to expect.

Lazarus: The Awakening Review: The Story So Far (No Spoilers)

The Lazarus: The Awakening plot follows Ray Lazarus, a vigilante resurrected from death. He sets out to dismantle a drug empire in Jackson, where a fentanyl epidemic has taken hold of the streets. Its tagline promises that "in the dark he shall be the light."

On his path stand a ruthless kingpin and a reporter who wants the truth exposed. Official descriptions say he fights with the help of a determined journalist, and that justice slowly becomes a war. That is the setup, and it is all you need.

The script comes from Anubis Heru, Sean Riggs and Caroline Roschman. It is a straightforward revenge-and-redemption template, with a topical drug-crisis backdrop.

What Works in Lazarus: The Awakening

The strongest asset is its lead. One Letterboxd reviewer, who was otherwise unimpressed, said Sean Riggs puts the movie on his back and carries it alone. That kind of commitment matters in a low-budget action picture.

The fight scenes also earn some credit. The same viewer called them quite decent, which is what many genre fans will care about most.

The subject matter gives the story a sense of purpose. Setting a vigilante tale against a fentanyl crisis ties the pulp premise to a real-world problem. If you like grounded street-level action, browse more Action movie reviews on FilmKini.

Lazarus: The Awakening Cast and Performances

The Lazarus: The Awakening cast is led by Sean Riggs as Ray Lazarus. Riggs is also one of the credited writers, so the film is clearly a personal project for him.

R. Marcos Taylor plays Demetrius Barkley, the antagonist at the heart of the drug empire. Courtney Grace appears as Vanessa Young, and Gem Marc Collins plays Alonzo Young. Britton Webb plays Danny, and Fred Davis is also in the cast.

I found no published critic reviews of the supporting turns, so judgment here rests on audience comments. Those focus almost entirely on Riggs, which says something about how much weight he carries.

Where Lazarus: The Awakening Stumbles

The main complaint is talk. One Letterboxd reviewer, who gave the film 3/10, felt there was so much unneeded dialogue that it could have been cut down considerably. In an 87-minute film, that is a notable issue.

Another viewer called the action scenes bland, which contradicts the praise above. Opinion on the fights is split, so your enjoyment may depend on your tolerance for modest choreography.

Audience scores are also low. IMDb shows a user rating of 3.6/10, while an IMDb user called it a B-class movie, nothing special. TMDB shows 7/10, but from only four votes, so it tells us little. Metacritic has no critic scores yet.

Is Lazarus: The Awakening Worth Watching?

It is worth watching only if you are a committed fan of low-budget action. Early reaction suggests a film with a game lead and decent fights, hampered by talky scenes and uneven action.

If you want sharper crime thrills, Crime movie reviews may serve you better. For a similar small-scale fight picture, see our take on Hands (2026), which also lands short on punch.

The film's release date is 20 February 2026. Check IMDb for details on Lazarus: The Awakening and current listings, as I could not confirm streaming availability.

Who Will Enjoy Lazarus: The Awakening

• Fans of B-movie vigilante stories who like a simple revenge hook.

• Viewers curious about Sean Riggs as both star and co-writer.

• Action fans who value a short runtime over polish.