Sleep No More: DVD Review

Arriving on DVD, VOD and Digital this week is the 80’s set horror film, “Sleep No More”, starring Brea Grant, Keli Price, Stephen Ellis, Yasmine Aker and directed by Phillip Guzman (“Dead Awake”).  We have seen countless horror films about kids dealing with deadly nightmares but there aren’t many that I can think of about what kind of terror awaits those who try to live without sleep. That is what sets “Sleep No More” apart from the rest. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do anything interesting with the premise.

“Sleep No More” centers on five graduate students who are conducting a study to prove a theory about what it takes for the human body to never need sleep again.  The students must stay awake for 200 hours to prove or disprove this theory.  It is natural to think that a lack of sleep could cause the mind to play tricks, but what if there is something truly deadly out there. The students start having visions that intensify the longer they stay awake. It doesn’t take long for them to realize that it’s not visions they are having, but an evil presence that only the sleep deprived can see and it is killing them, one by one.

“Sleep No More”, feels like a bad remake of “Flatliners” (which already has a bad remake of its’ own). The acting isn’t terrible, but almost everything else is. There is not a single scare to be had and even worse, the 91-minute flick feels more like two hours, as it drags along at a snail’s pace.  It’s ironic that a movie called “Sleep No More” is likely to put you to sleep.

By: Marc Ferman