Sleep is not to be slept on! Jason Yu, who was previously the assistant director to Bong Joon-ho during Okja makes his directorial debut. Sleep is vastly different from Okja with how contained the film is. We had the chance to watch Sleep during Fantastic Fest last week in Austin with director Jason Yu in attendance. Here is a brief synopsis on the film:

“Hyeon-soo and Soo-jin are newlyweds. One night, she discovers Hyeon-soo sleepwalking, with a strange behavior that is not like him. Every time night falls, she becomes restless, for fear that her husband will harm their newborn.”

The film plays like a dark comedy with horror elements. Jung Yu-mi and Lee Sun-kyun deliver as married couple. The love and tenderness the couple feel is felt through the screen and only makes the dark moments much more believable. Sleep has some comedic moments, so to see the actors go back and forth was amazing. The two leads were able to keep you engaged with great timing and incredible acting. Jung Yu-mi in particular is almost a completely different person by the end and is just outstanding.

Jason Yu is able to keep your attention with the camera work in Sleep. Every moment is carefully crafted with meaning behind it. The cinematography really evokes the tones and themes of the film. One of the last scenes in the film were some of the most visually stunning shots from the festival.

Sleep tackles so many themes including marriage and unconditional love. Jason Yu recalled during the Q&A that he wrote Sleep after becoming engaged to his longtime girlfriend, mentioning how he believes in the power of love. Sleep is a dark film that takes some wild turns but never abandons its core theme of love. I enjoyed the film and just had some minor issues with things feeling repetitive at times. However, the ending is a nail biter and really sold me on the film.

We Give Sleep a 4/5.