Running Time: 94 Minutes
Starring: Lee Sun-kyun, Jung Yu-mi, Kim Kuk-hee, Lee Kyung-jin
With his previous credits involving serving as an Assistant Director on Bong Joon-ho's Okja, writer/director Jason Yu follows that up by taking the lead for his feature debut, Sleep. The story opens in the middle of the night, as the pregnant Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi) awakens to find her newlywed husband Hyun-su (Lee Sun-kyun) sat on the edge of the bed. While the wife asks what is wrong, the mood turns foreboding when her husband ominously says "Someone's inside."
This creepy opening is contrasted by the following daytime scenes, as the newlyweds have a charmed life while awaiting their child's impending birth. That domestic bliss is disrupted at night, as Hyun-su begins speaking in his sleep, something that is just the beginning for this family. The husband seemingly transforms into a different person while asleep, leaving him with no recollection of the previous night's occurrences. This leaves Soo-jin struggling to nod off, as she fears that her husband may hurt himself or their young family.
Despite being his first feature, Yu impresses with a handling that balances tone with an assured handling. Once the creepy behaviour begins, there is an oddness to the silly instances which can be filed under 'bizarre, but manageable.' Yet, as these moments happen with greater frequency, the acts grow more disturbing to the point that, once the baby is born, there is an unsettling air as the fear of tragedy lingers over the new parents.
This hits all the harder courtesy of the dual leads, as Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Yu-mi effectively convey the shared love between their characters. When they make declarations about sticking it through and making their marriage work, it is easy to believe courtesy of how believable their love is. This makes it saddening when the effects of the sleepwalking hits them, growing devastating as their worries mount and Soo-jin becomes sleep deprived. The strain is clear to others, who share that it is understandable if this relationship does not work, but the couple intend to work through this tough period, regardless of what it takes.
This leads to a key moment involving a PowerPoint presentation, where fears and anxieties come pouring out in attention grabbing fashion. It results in a tense journey to the finale, as the couple's promise to overcome anything together is tested quite considerably. As it stands, Sleep is a terrific feature debut that hints at a promising future for Jason Yu.
Comments