-Written by Kyle Bain.
2024 RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
An expectant mother, Soon-jin (Jung Yu-mi), struggles to deal with her husband's, Hyun-su (Lee Sun-kyun) strange, nighttime behavior. For weeks now he’s been suffering from dangerous sleepwalking fits–and he’s becoming a true danger to himself, his wife, and their unborn child. Sleep time isn’t what it used to be, and the reason for Hyun-su’s strange behavior may be more daunting than either of them could have expected.
Sleep is developed in a style that I adore. It’s slower, but meticulously developed–and it leaves no stone left unturned. The film is often physically dark, but it’s tonally dark as well. Writer-Director Jason Yu incorporates dark, subtle comedy throughout the course of the narrative, and it helps to balance and juxtapose the intensity that is strewn throughout the majority of Sleep. Each piece of this puzzle is integral to the product as a whole–and only on a few (minor) occasions does Yu miss. Even those slip ups, if you can even really call them that, don’t ruin the film, barely even steal from it in the slightest. They exist, but Yu is able to quickly move on from them–expressing just how talented of a filmmaker he is.
My one real issue with Sleep is really an issue that I have with myself rather than the film. There’s a language barrier present, with the characters in the film only speaking Korean throughout. I speak English, only English–and I can sometimes struggle to understand sarcasm when it’s delivered in another language. I did find myself struggling to understand some of the comedic moments, at least in the moment. In retrospect I was able to understand what was attempted by Yu and his talented cast, but those bits of comedy lose their luster once they’ve passed. This one’s on me, but for those viewers, like me, that don’t understand Korean, Sleep can be challenging from time to time.
What ultimately makes Sleep work so well–as brilliantly thorough as Yu is in his development of this horror comedy–is the acting. Both Yu-mi and Sun-kyun are incredible actors, and they possess a vigor that shines brightly throughout the course of Sleep. Sun-kyun gets to play with the idea of comedy more often than his counterpart, and he does it well. He finds a nice balance, never taking away from either aspect of his repertoire. Then there’s Yu-mi, who, throughout the duration of Sleep, is tasked with remaining intense. She’s powerful in her performance, commanding the room at every opportunity. I fell in love with her talent in the opening moments, as Sleep opens just as intensely as it concludes–with her being the catalyst for the tone in these moments. She’s spectacular, and as wonderful as everyone and everything else is, she is the star of the show.
Again, paced relatively slowly, but with everything well designed and developed in regard to the narrative, Sleep is an intense venture into the human psyche–with some occult thrown into the fold on occasion. Yu creates something that feels unique and original, and Yu-mi and Sun-kyun help to bring his vision to life. Powerful and full of passion, Sleep is a film that will keep you on your toes and on the edge of your seat.
Written & Directed by Jason Yu.
Starring Jung Yu-mi, Lee Sun-kyun, etc.
9/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW
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