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In SLEEP NO MORE, five graduate students are conducting a study to prove the theory that once you’ve passed 200 hours without sleep, you will never need sleep again. As the hours tick by and their struggle to stay awake intensifies, they each start to have strange and unsettling experiences. Visions from the past, violent impulses and terrifying waking nightmares begin to take hold and turn this experiment into a desperate fight for survival.
It is 1986 at St. Martin University. There is a study going on by Dr. Ella Whatley and her four subjects. They are using a new drug called drug Cogniphan to treat sleep. The ultimate goal of the experiment is to eliminate sleep all together which will give people back a big part of their lives and make them more productive. But when something goes horribly wrong during the experiment the project is shut down and Dr. Ella Whatley is suspended until further notice.
It is summer vacation at the university and the place is empty for at least two weeks so the doctor and her shaft decide to retry the experiment using themselves as the subjects. Everything starts off well but it doesn't take long for the subjects to begin seeing and hearing strange things. Is there something wrong with the drug they are using or is there something more sinister at play here? Either way once they hit a certain point there is no turning back and they enter into the fight of their lives.
This is the second film I reviewed recently that deals with sleep, the first dealt with sleep paralysis this one deals with eliminating sleep all together and it did a great job keeping me engaged and with its mystery and suspense. I am not going to go into any more plot details here so not to ruin the film for those wanting to see if but I will say that the film does a great job keeping the audience at the edge of their seats.
One thing that made the film as good as it was is the cast. Everyone in the film did a great job but the five leads all did a fantastic job. Keli Price, Brea Grant, Stephen Ellis, Christine Dwyer and Yasmine Aker are amazing. They all gave powerful and believable performances. Director, Phillip Guzman gives the film moving at a brisk pace while keeping the tension and suspense high. The film is a mix of horror and sci-fi and while the effects used are nothing ground breaking they work really well here.
I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by 'Sleep No More.' It is a creepy and disturbing film that gets in your and it stays there the entire time. After watching the film you may be afraid to stay awake too long at night. I highly recommend checking it out when it comes to VOD, Digital and DVD on October 2, 2018.
Released by RLJE Films
*** 3/4 Out Of *****