Sleepwalker (Elliott Lester ,2017) USA

Reviewed by Martha Castaneda at Santa Barbara Film Festival 2017

Wake up! This is what you want to yell in Elliot Lester’s film “Sleepwalker”. This film is an excellent suspence-thriller that keeps you at the edge of your seat. The story is of a young women named Sarah (Ahna O’Reilly) who suffers from a sleeping disorder that creates bizarre circumstances. After the death of her husband, Sarah begins sleepwalking while having horrible nightmares. Her nightmares/sleepwalks repeatedly reenact that terrible day of her husbands death. In her nightmares, in addition to that horrible reenactment a strange man is chasing her. She has frequent episodes of sleepwalking and the nightmare becomes routine. She decides to be admitted into a clinic that studies sleeping patterns. She is under a watchful eye throughout the night, but alas she is still able to escape. The writer Jack Olsen holds your interest by creating a story that is both  mysterious and suspenseful. You ask yourself, is she for real and is this really happening? During the day she has two different identities, with unique personalities and friends. But in her sleep, her patterns stay the same, consisting of nightmares and sleepwalking. The film has a surprising ending with an awesome, unpredictable twist.

The acting, photography, sound and editing were all well done. This film keeps the audience engaged and keeps making one ask, can this be true? The ending alone makes “Sleepwalker” a worthy film, but factor in the acting and suspense and it is a must-see!