Sleep (2023 film)
{{Short description|2023 film by Jason Yu}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Sleep
| image = Sleep 2023 film poster.png
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| native_name = {{Infobox Korean film name/auto|hangul=^잠}}
| director = Jason Yu
| screenplay = Jason Yu{{cite web|url=https://www.semainedelacritique.com/en/edition/2023/movie/jam|title=Sleep 잠 / Jam|publisher=Semaine de la Critique du Festival de Cannes|access-date=23 May 2023}}
| producer = Lewis Tae-wan Kim
| starring = {{plainlist|
}}
| cinematography = Tae-soo Kim
| music = {{plainlist|
}}
| distributor = Lotte Entertainment
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2023|5|21|Cannes|2023|9|6|South Korea}}
| country = South Korea
| language = Korean
| budget =
| gross = {{USD|11.1}} million{{Cite web|url=http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/boxOffice_Yearly.jsp?mode=BOXOFFICE_YEAR&selectDt=2023&category=ALL&country=K|title=KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) The Box office: Korean films of 2023|access-date=4 October 2024|work=KOFIC}}{{cite web |title=Sleep |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl269320193/weekend/ |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=2024-11-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241119225134/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl269320193/weekend/ |archive-date=2024-11-19 |url-status=live}}
}}
Sleep ({{Korean/auto|hangul=^잠|rr=yes}}) is a 2023 South Korean black comedy horror mystery thriller{{cite magazine|last=Keslassy|first=Elsa|date=17 April 2023|title=Cannes Critics' Week Unveils Lineup of 62nd Edition|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/global/cannes-critics-week-unveils-lineup-62nd-edition-1235585072/|magazine=Variety|access-date=25 May 2023}}{{cite magazine|last=Noh|first=Jean|date=21 May 2023|title=Jason Yu talks Critics' Week title 'Sleep', praised by Palme d'Or and Oscar-winner Bong Joon Ho|url=https://www.screendaily.com/features/jason-yu-talks-critics-week-title-sleep-praised-by-palme-dor-and-oscar-winner-bong-joon-ho/5182405.article|magazine=Screen International|access-date=23 May 2023}}{{cite magazine|last=Haddad|first=Yohan|date=17 April 2023|title=La Semaine de la Critique 2023 dévoile sa sélection|url=https://www.premiere.fr/Cinema/News-Cinema/La-Semaine-de-la-Critique-2023-devoile-sa-selection|magazine=Première|language=fr|access-date=24 May 2023}} film written and directed by Jason Yu, in his feature debut. The film stars Jung Yu-mi and Lee Sun-kyun. It screened in the Critics' Week section at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2023. It was released in South Korea on 6 September 2023. Lee died on 27 December 2023, making Sleep one of his final film appearances.
Synopsis
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.
Cast
- Jung Yu-mi as Soo-jin
- Lee Sun-kyun as Hyeon-soo
- Kim Gook-hee as Min-jeong{{Cite web|last=Lee Ho-young|date=23 August 2023|script-title=ko:'무빙'→'잠' 김국희, 정유미X이선균과 호흡|url=https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=408&aid=0000198524|access-date=23 August 2023|publisher=MBC Entertainment|language=ko}}
- Lee Kyung-jin as Soo-jin's mother{{cite web|url=https://www.hancinema.net/korean_movie_Sleep-cast.html|title=Sleep - Cast (Korean Movie, 2023, 잠)|website=HanCinema|date=March 28, 2025}}
- Yoon Kyung-ho as Doctor
Production
=Development=
In October 2021, actors Jung Yu-mi and Lee Sun-kyun confirmed their casting as married couple Soo-jin and Hyeon-soo in a horror film written and directed by Jason Yu, and produced by Lewis Pictures.{{cite web|language=ko|last=Jeon|first=Hwa-aoi|script-title=ko:[단독]정유미·이선균, 공포 스릴러 '잠' 호흡..일상 무너뜨리는 공포 [종합]|url=https://www.starnewskorea.com/stview.php?no=2021101309055740343|website=Star News|date=13 October 2021|access-date=23 May 2023}}.
Regarding the story, before turning it into a nightmare, Jason Yu was inspired by the moments when he was preparing to marry his girlfriend of seven years: "In writing, my goal was, initially, of course, to make a fun genre film. But, since my subject at the time was marriage, I also wanted to talk about married life." Yu explained: "At first, I was superficially curious about sleepwalking. Then, I wondered what the daily life would look like for a loved one who has to stay by the side of a sleepwalker."{{cite web|language=ko|last=Oh|first=Bo-ram|script-title=ko:'잠' 유재선 감독 "데뷔작 칸에 초청돼 배터질 만큼 행복"|url=https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20230522004100005|website=Yonhap News Agency|date=22 May 2023|access-date=23 May 2023}}{{cite web|language=ko|last=Koh|first=Seung-ah|script-title=ko:'잠' 유재선 감독 "데뷔작 칸 초청 벅차...봉준호 '즐기고 오라'고" [칸 현장]|url=https://news.nate.com/view/20230522n02489|website=Nate News|date=22 May 2023|access-date=23 May 2023}} He also stated that sleep is a good subject for a horror movie, as "sleep is a state of complete surrender to your environment". Yu also stated that when he first created the character Soo-jin, he had Jung Yu-mi in mind as the perfect actress for the role.{{cite news|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/sleep-s-writer-director-taps-the-fear-of-surrendering-one-s-body-to-the-night|title=Sleep's writer-director taps the fear of surrendering one's body to the night|work=The Straits Times|date=20 September 2023|location=Singapore}}
During pre-production, Bong Joon-ho showed appreciation for Jason Yu's work. Yu had previously worked as Bong's assistant director during the production of his film Okja (2017). Bong strongly recommended Lee Sun-kyun to play the role of the husband, Hyeon-soo. In an interview after the film's premiere, Yu confessed, "While filming Sleep, I found myself, unconsciously and consciously, trying to imitate the image I had seen in Bong's Okja".
=Filming=
Principal photography concluded on 12 April 2022.{{cite web|language=ko|last=Choi|first=Young-ju|script-title=ko:정유미X이선균 주연 '잠' 크랭크업..."두 배우와 함께해 영광"|url=https://nocutnews.co.kr/news/5742689|website=No Cut News|date=19 April 2022|access-date=23 May 2023}}{{cite web|language=ko|last=Hong|first=Jang-seong|script-title=ko:정유미, 이선균 <잠> 4월 12일 크랭크업!|url=https://www.movietok.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=12229|website=movietok.kr|date=19 April 2022|access-date=23 May 2023}}
Release
On 17 April 2023, Sleep was selected to be screened in the Critics' Week section at the 76th Cannes Film Festival{{cite magazine|date=17 April 2023|title=Festival de Cannes 2023 : découvrez la sélection de la Semaine de la critique|url=https://www.troiscouleurs.fr/article/festival-de-cannes-2023-semaine-de-la-critique|magazine=Trois Couleurs|language=fr|access-date=23 May 2023}}{{cite web|language=ko|last=Kim|first=Ji-hye|script-title=ko:봉준호도 반했다...정유미X이선균 '잠', 칸영화제 비평가주간 초청|url=https://ent.sbs.co.kr/news/article.do?article_id=E10010269300|website=sbs.co.kr|date=17 April 2023|access-date=23 May 2023}}. where it had its world premiere on 21 May 2023.{{Cite web|last=mraultpauillac|date=10 May 2023|title=The Screenings Guide of the 76th Festival de Cannes|url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2023/the-screenings-guide-of-the-76th-festival-de-cannes/|access-date=10 May 2023|website=Festival de Cannes|language=en-US}} The screening took place at Espace Miramar, in the presence of Jason Yu, Jung Yu-mi and Lee Sun-kyun.{{cite web|language=ko|last=Jeong|first=Yoo-jin|script-title=ko:유재선-정유미-이선균, 영화 '잠'으로 칸영화제 나란히[포토엔HD]|url=https://m.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=202305211933441810|website=m.newsen.com|date=21 May 2023|access-date=23 May 2023}}
Distribution rights to the film were acquired by Lotte Entertainment,{{cite magazine|last=Noh|first=Jean|date=31 January 2023|title=Lotte gets 'Sleep', with 'Parasite' star Lee Sun-kyun, ahead of EFM (exclusive)|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/lotte-gets-sleep-with-parasite-star-lee-sun-kyun-ahead-of-efm-exclusive/5178650.article|magazine=Screen International|access-date=23 May 2023}} who released it in South Korea on 6 September 2023.{{Cite web|last=김 |first=보영|script-title=ko:정유미·이선균 '잠' 9월 6일 개봉...칸 이어 시체스영화제 초청 쾌거|url=https://entertain.naver.com/now/read?oid=018&aid=0005537814|access-date=26 July 2023|website=Naver|language=ko}}
Reception
=Box office=
=Critical response=
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 76 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Elegantly executed, Sleep builds prosperously upon a familiar premise and delivers rousing chills."{{cite Rotten Tomatoes|title=Sleep|type=m|id=sleep_2023|access-date=10 January 2025|publisher_hide=yes}} Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 80 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.{{cite Metacritic|id=sleep|type=movie|title=Sleep|access-date=10 January 2025|publisher_hide=yes}}
Reviewing the film following its Cannes premiere, Marilou Duponchel of Trois couleurs called it "a perfection of genre film where laughter and dread mingle. A profound and subtle reflection on married life".{{cite web|last=Duponchel|first=Marilou|title=Cannes 2023 — « Sleep » de Jason Yu : chambre froide|url=https://www.troiscouleurs.fr/article/cannes-2023-sleep-jason-yu|website=Trois couleurs|date=21 May 2023|access-date=23 May 2023}} Jean-Baptiste Morain of Les Inrockuptibles called it "a very successful first feature film, somewhere between horror and comedy".{{cite web|last=Morain|first=Jean-Baptiste|title=[Cannes 2023] : "Sleep" de Jason Yu : un premier long-métrage, entre film d'horreur et comédie, fort réussi|url=https://www.lesinrocks.com/cinema/sleep-de-jason-yu-un-premier-long-metrage-entre-film-dhorreur-et-comedie-fort-reussi-564061-22-05-2023/|website=Les Inrockuptibles|language=fr|date=22 May 2023|access-date=23 May 2023}} Luc Chessel of Libération wrote, "Jason Yu distills a skilful atmosphere of anxiety".{{cite web|last=Chessel|first=Luc|title=Festival de Cannes : Sleep, flip en famille|url=https://www.liberation.fr/culture/cinema/festival-de-cannes-sleep-flip-en-famille-20230523_KC5T3GWAYNFZ3BGMGJGQUNSZUM/|website=Libération|language=fr|date=23 May 2023|access-date=23 May 2023}} Singapore's national newspaper The Straits Times gave the film four stars out of five, and it praised the film for dealing with "mysterious nightly terrors packs in more scares than films twice as long".{{cite news|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/at-the-movies-in-the-k-horror-sleep-a-couple-close-their-eyes-but-find-no-rest|title=At The Movies: In the K-horror Sleep, a couple close their eyes but find no rest|work=The Straits Times|date=20 September 2023|location=Singapore}}
Director Bong Joon-ho lauded the film as "the most unique horror film and the smartest debut film I've seen in 10 years".{{cite news|language=ko|last=Ahn|first=So-yoon|script-title=ko:[공식] 정유미X이선균 '잠', 칸영화제 비평가주간 초청...봉준호 감독도 극찬|url=https://www.chosun.com/entertainments/movie/2023/04/18/Q74CWOAS6KJACX5ULKJR2RGCKQ/|newspaper=The Chosun Ilbo|date=18 April 2023|access-date=23 May 2023}}
=Accolades=
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}