It starts with some cryptic words spoken in Hyun-soo’s sleep: “someone’s inside.” Then he wakes up bleeding from a bout of compulsive facial scratching. Before long, Soo-jin finds him sleepwalking through the apartment, often in ways that risk considerable harm to himself or others.
Suddenly, she realizes their annoying down-stairs neighbor’s noise complaints might be valid and relevant. She also stops dismissing her mother’s talk of sigils and shamans. In fact, Soo-jin starts researching supernatural causes in earnest. Not surprisingly, the combined pressure of recent motherhood and her deep dive into the occult takes its toll. Nevertheless, she remains committed to Hyun-soo.
In fact, Sleep is a rarity among horror films, which genuinely respects the for-better-or-for-worse vows. Indeed, the film is largely all about how two main characters act accordingly, under extreme conditions. As Soo-jin and Hyun-soo, Jung Yu-min and Lee Sun-kyun truly act like a couple who share considerable history together, as well as the in-jokes and shorthand references that come with it. The poignancy of their chemistry further elevates with the realization Sleep represents one of the final films of the late Lee, whom many friends and colleagues believe was recklessly hounded to his death by the police and the tabloid press.
Despite its supernatural themes, Sleep very much appears as if it is of our world. Clearly, Yu has a lot of talent, but he also demonstrates a keen sense of restraint. Highly recommended for horror fans, Sleep opens today (9/27) at the Lower Manhattan Drafthouse.
