In the loopy medical thriller “Awake,” Hayden Christensen plays Clayton Beresford Jr., a wealthy young man who suffers a condition called anesthesia awareness during a heart transplant. Conscious but immobile, he gives us a voice-over play-by-play of the proceedings, and if you are one of those who viewed his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker as the ne plus ultra of lifelessness, prepare to be proven wrong.

Before this trauma, Clayton’s heart is already overburdened. Nursing an overbearing mother (Lena Olin), suppressed memories of his father’s death and a clandestine relationship with the sultry Samantha (Jessica Alba), he is relieved when a donor organ becomes available. The last-minute appearance of a substitute anesthesiologist, however, is not quite so encouraging.

Shot partly at Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan, “Awake” is filled with risible medical behavior (the sterility of the operating room is repeatedly compromised) and a horizontal Mr. Christensen screaming variations on “Oh no, I can feel that!” Made bearable solely by the impeccable Terrence Howard as Clay’s troubled surgeon, the movie is ultimately likely to alarm only those responsible for paying medical malpractice premiums.

The writer and director, Joby Harold, claims to have been inspired to write the film while suffering from a particularly painful kidney stone. Watching it may be for some a comparable experience.

“Awake” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). It has bathtub sex and operating-table trauma.