Marlene (Sandra Huller) suffers from extreme night terrors, She stops breathing when these events occur and her daughter Mona( Gro Swantje Kohlof) often has to come into her room to calm her down and get her breathing calmly once again. When Marlene wakes from a dream she hurriedly writes down the details in a notebook. She is also disturbed by an advertisement for the Hotel from her dreams on an onboard magazine. The recordings of events become increasingly sharp and violent. Mona sees that the situation is getting worse and demands that her mother goes to an ENT specialist. Marlene agrees to go after a scheduled planned overnight shift to Istanbul for her job as a flight attendant to Istanbul. Instead of going on her flight she goes to the mountain village where the hotel is located. Marlene checks into the Sonnenhugel Hotel hotel that is off-season. She sees photos of the three men known as pillars of Stainbach on the wall of the hotel. Marlene recognizes them from her dreams knowing that they all committed suicide. Back at home, Mona finds her mother's notebooks neatly stacked on her bed. As she goes through them she begins to see the story of Stainbach and the Sonnenhugel hotel in the pages. Being in the hotel is too much for Marlene she clutches her totem of a boar as she collapses into a stupor and is hospitalized. Mona receives an urgent call and comes to the town to investigate.
Director Michael Venus' story explores the inner workings of the mind, hidden memories and buried family history. The specter of Germany drifting back into nationalism is also present in the film. The empty off season hotel that Marlene then Mona inhabit reminds the viewer of the Shining's Overlook Hotel. The transfer of memories between family members is also front and centre.
When Mona arrives she meets Otto(August Schmolzer) the over-friendly Hotelier and his wife Lore (Marion Kracht) who wants to see her off as soon as possible. Mona's first night brings a vision of a woman and the impression of the name Tore that does not ring any bells with the staring townsfolk. However, Mona continues to dig proving to be more stubborn, determined, and mental sound than her mother in her attempt to get to the truths that could eventually extract her mom from her psychological prison.
Sleep is a journey into the psychological and a look at the subconscious living in a space where dreams and reality overlap. As the viewer follows Mona's exploration the line between dreams and conscious thought is blurred. The debilitating paralysis that psychological trauma can have on the human body is also on display. It a harrowing tale filled with Lynchian elements well shouldered by its young female lead that is definitely worth the watch.
*** 1/2 Out of 4.
Sleep | Michael Venus | Germany | 2020 | 102 Minutes.
Tags: Nightmares, Suicides, ENT, Medications,Totems, Hospital, Steinbach, Mountain Village Off Season, Hotel, Boars, Family Secret, Lullaby Jenga.
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