“…the ending will rattle around in your head for days.”
As a director, Bieber isn’t quite as capable as he is a writer. Mind you, the outlandish and gnarly imagery are presented in a more fantasy-esque atmosphere, and clearly, a considerable amount of time and dedication was put into them by special effects makeup artist Chris Mills III and his team. The creatures’ design, especially a mask which becomes very significant, are elegant and phenomenal. The amount of detail put into this aspect is staggering, considering the low budget. But, that is the special effects team, not the directing. Bieber lacks visual panache, so a lot of the movie looks like a Lifetime channel movie, with standard medium shots and little else to really captivate the audience on a visual level. The lack of scares and conspicuous absence of tension probably stem from this, and from the heavy focus on the characters, not the fantastical.
If you go into Don’t Sleep expecting to be scared, you will be disappointed. But if you are looking for a decent plot, good acting, and very impressive effects, give it a watch.
Don’t Sleep Directed by Rick Bieber. Written by Rick Bieber. Starring Dominic Sherwood, Cary Elwes, Charlbi Dean Kriek, Jill Hennessy, Alex Rocco, and Drea de Matteo.
Grade: B+
