Jason Yu’s ‘SLEEP’ Is A Terrific First Feature – Movie Review

Sleep is a time when we should be able to relax and not worry about anything – especially not the loved one sleeping beside you. But how well do you really know them? Sleep disorders are honestly some of the scariest that can happen to anyone. I myself am a sleepwalker – one who opened locked doors and made it halfway down the block as a child. In response, my father installed deadbolt at the top of the front and back doors, far out of my reach. My ‘wanderings,’ as we called them, soon slowed as I got older, but I always lock every single door possible, just in case.

The nightmare is real for a wife whose husband’s sleepwalking is getting progressively more violent in Jason Yu’s film: Sleep.

Synopsis

A young, expectant wife must figure out how to stop her husband’s nightmarish sleepwalking habits before he harms himself or his family.

The late Lee Sun-kyun (Parasite) gives a nuanced performance as the husband who is both a sweet, comedic, up and coming actor, but also the worst sleep walking nightmare outside of Elm St. He is joined by the talented Jung Yu-mi (Train to Busan), who is incredible as a dogged wife and mother who refuses to give up on her little family. You may find yourself like me: in equal parts awe and disbelief at the lengths this woman will go to in order to save her husband. I’m not going to lie, there was a certain point where I would have told him to hit the road.

As with so many Korean films, I was not prepared for where this film was going. This is certainly an age where most information on your spouse can be found with a click of your fingers – but violent sleep problems like this? That’s a different story… the claustrophobic mix of humor, unrelenting tension, and unexpected violence really works here. Anyone who is a fan of Korean horror definitely needs to check this one out! This is a must see.

Now, before I drift off to sleep, I’ll just check those locks…