In the climax of the film, it is revealed that Clay Beresford (played by Hayden Christensen) has been experiencing anesthesia awareness throughout his heart transplant surgery. He is aware of everything happening around him, including the plot to murder him and steal his fortune.
Throughout the movie, Clay undergoes heart transplant surgery after suffering from a serious heart condition. However, during the surgery, he becomes conscious but paralyzed due to anesthesia, unable to alert the medical staff to his awareness.
As the surgery progresses, Clay overhears conversations between his best friend, Dr. Jack Harper (played by Terrence Howard), and his mother, Lilith Beresford (played by Lena Olin), revealing that they conspired to kill him for his inheritance. They plan to stop his heart during the surgery to make it look like a medical complication.
In the final moments of the film, Clay desperately tries to communicate with the medical staff, but he is unable to move or speak. Despite his efforts, his heart is stopped by Dr. Harper, and he appears to die on the operating table.
However, Clay’s consciousness remains trapped in his paralyzed body, and he experiences a series of hallucinations and flashbacks as he struggles to come to terms with his situation. He eventually realizes that he has died and that his soul is trapped between life and death.
The film ends with Clay’s soul finally accepting his fate and finding peace as he drifts into the afterlife, leaving behind the turmoil and betrayal of his former life.
Overall, the ending of “Awake” is a dark and unsettling conclusion to the story, as Clay’s consciousness grapples with the horrors of his own murder and the realization of his own mortality. Through its exploration of themes such as betrayal, greed, and the nature of consciousness, the film offers audiences a haunting and thought-provoking meditation on the fragility of life and the mysteries of death.