Sleep – TIFF 2023
Jodie Foster Teaches Filmmaking
September 7 to September 17, 2023
Content Advisory: Animal cruelty or animal death, Self-injurious behavior
PROGRAMME
Midnight Madness
A young woman starts to believe her husband’s sleeping disorder might be something more sinister in Sleep. Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi) awakens one night to see her husband Hyun-su (Lee Sun-kyun) sitting on the end of the bed. Hyun-su utters the words “Someone is inside” before going to sleep. Soon, Hyun-su begins scratching himself while sleeping and sleepwalking in the middle of the night. Despite being diagnosed with “REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder,” Soo-jin believes that her husband’s behaviour is supernatural.
Sleep Synopsis
Sleep, aka 잠 (Jam), is a Korean horror film written and directed by Jason Yu. Told in three chapters, the film focuses nearly entirely on the married couple of Soo-jin and Hyun-su in their apartment. While Hyun-su tries to overcome his sleep disorder, Soo-jin begins to develop insomnia, as she fears for the safety of their newborn daughter. The insomnia turns to paranoia, as Soo-jin becomes convinced that Hyun-su has become possessed by the ghost of the couple’s recently passed away downstairs neighbour, who was always complaining about the noise.
My Thoughts on Sleep
According to Sleep, there is a very thin line between sleep disorders and possession and the film keeps you guessing until the film’s quite insane final chapter whether Hyun-su is possessed or if it is just paranoia caused by Soo-jin’s growing insomnia. One thing that’s for sure is that this film is not really for people who own a Pomeranian, since things don’t end well for the couple’s cute dog Pepper. That aside, Sleep is still a quite solid psychological horror film.
Trailer for Sleep – TIFF 2023
