SLEEP

(director/writer: Jason Yu; cinematographer: Tae-Soo Kim; editor: Meeyeon-Han; music: Jong Jin Chang/Chang Hyuk-Jin; cast: Jung Yu-Mi (Su-jin), Lee Sun-Kyun (Hyun-Su); Runtime: 95; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Lewis Taewan Kim; Lewis Pictures/Lotte Entertainment; 2023-Korea-in Korean, with English subtitles)

“It’s chill.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

A haunting ghost story in the directorial debut of Korean filmmaker Jason Yu. It is divided into three chapters. It’s a juicy dark comedy and horror film, that makes for an entertaining watch helmed by a talented new director. It’s about the travails of the newlyweds over the husband’s poor sleeping habits. A pregnant woman Su-jin (Jung Yu-Mi), the breadwinner business executive, despairs because her aspiring actor husband Hyun-Su (Lee Sun-Kyun) talks in his sleep and then even more scary becomes a sleepwalker.

When doctors have no remedy, she wonders if hubby is possessed and this problem is a supernatural one. She tries all kinds of strange ways to cure him, but none work. Only their love for each other keeps them together.

The no-nonsense, crowd-pleasing, mystery story only disappoints with an ambiguous and shitty climax. Other wise it’s chill.


It played at the Cannes Film Festival.

REVIEWED ON 12/18/2023  GRADE: B-