Imagine the person you love most in the world suddenly becoming a terrifying stranger in the night. In Jason Yu’s highly-anticipated feature debut, Sleep, a pregnant woman is forced to face this horrifying reality as her husband’s sleepwalking escalates from harmless mumbling to disturbing and grotesque behaviour. As conventional medicine fails, they turn to a shaman for help, plunging them into a world of paranoia and supernatural terror.
From the outset, Sleep establishes an atmosphere of unease and suspense. The opening scene, where Soo-jin’s snores are abruptly interrupted by the sight of Hyun-su sitting upright in the dark, muttering, “Something’s inside,” immediately sets a chilling tone. The source of the mysterious noises haunting their apartment remains elusive, but the consequences become increasingly dire as Hyun-su’s sleepwalking escalates into violence, putting their unborn child at risk.
Director Jason Yu masterfully crafts a sense of escalating dread, skillfully teasing and concealing monstrous sights and forces just outside the frame. The claustrophobic setting of the couple’s apartment further intensifies the tension, creating a sense of inescapable dread that leaves the audience on the edge of their seats. The film’s explosive sound design, with its rattling doors and ominous creaks, further amplifies the terror, making even the most mundane noises seem threatening.
While Sleep is undeniably a horror film, it also injects moments of dark humour into the narrative, providing a welcome reprieve from the mounting tension. Hyun-su’s deadpan response to his wife’s suggestion of seeking professional help, “Wait, which doctor should I see?”, is a prime example of this.
The relationship between Hyun-su and Soo-jin is at the heart of the film. Their endearing in-jokes, playful romantic attraction, and unwavering commitment to each other provide a grounding contrast to the supernatural occurrences. Jung Yu-mi delivers a standout performance as Soo-jin, convincingly portraying a woman torn between loyalty and distrust, her character’s reasonable alarm tempered by her steadfast belief in her marriage.
She embodies the resilience of a woman who refuses to let anything, not even a sleepwalking, potentially possessed husband, destroy her family. “Together we can overcome anything,” reads a plaque in their living room, and Soo-jin clings to this hope even as the situation spirals further out of control.
Lee Sun-kyun is equally compelling as Hyun-su, a man battling an affliction he doesn’t understand, terrified of the monster he might become. The film cleverly keeps viewers guessing about the root of his condition, blurring the lines between the psychological and the paranormal. Is Hyun-su’s sleepwalking a manifestation of marital and parental anxieties, as hinted by his initial enigmatic utterance, “Something’s inside”? Or is there a darker, supernatural force at play?
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The film’s third act takes a surprising turn, jumping forward in time and introducing a new set of rules that some viewers found disorienting. A major plot point is glossed over, shown only in a still image, leaving some unanswered questions. However, despite this shift, the film remains a tightly crafted waking nightmare, filled with pulse-pounding paranoia and tantalizing ambiguity.
The supporting cast also shines, particularly Kim Keum-soon as the eccentric shaman, a character so memorable that it’s a shame she only appears in one scene. Her introduction, a close-up of her high heels as she steps out of her car, followed by her aggressive brandishing of a ceremonial rattlebell, is a perfect blend of camp, scariness, and bizarreness.
Overall, Sleep is a confident, contained, and character-driven debut from a filmmaker who shows immense promise. While the ending may not be everyone’s cup of tea, the film’s unique blend of horror, humor, and suspense, combined with strong performances and a captivating atmosphere, make it a must-watch for genre fans.
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This special screening of Sleep was organized by MilkTea, a UK-based organization dedicated to showcasing the best of East and Southeast Asian cinema. Founded by Chi Thai and Vicki Liu Brown, MilkTea aims to build inclusion, communities, and audiences through film screenings and partnerships with major studios like Sony Pictures, A24, and Netflix. Their work has earned them widespread acclaim and numerous awards.
If you’re interested in attending MilkTea’s next screening, be sure to follow them on social media @milkteafilms for updates and announcements.
