Sometimes I have dreams about the art house movie theaters of the ’80s. These little theaters were geared towards a crowd that wanted more than the popcorn thriller cranked out by Hollywood and coated in “Golden Flavoring.” They wanted movies that were either off the beaten track or from another part of the world. They also wanted real butter spritzed on their freshly popped popcorn. Plus they demanded a Toblerone to have a feeling of sophistication in their creaky theater seat. The art house provided movies that stuck to them like chocolate and melted butter on their fingers. By the time the ’90s rolled around, every major studio had its “indie” brand that dominated the non-cineplex screens with the latest sensations from Sundance and an occasional international film that was being targeted for a Best Foreign Picture Oscar. I mention my dreams of wandering around the bygone arthouses of the ’80s because Sleep ought to be the film projected on the screen as I slumber.
Marlene (Sandra Hüller) is a stewardess who keeps having disturbing dreams that involve people killing themselves in a strange hotel that she’s never visited. She continually does sketches and notes about the place in her dream journals. One day she flips through the magazine that the airlines gives out and sees photo of the hotel. It’s a perfect match for her drawings. She heads to the hotel to figure out why she keeps dreaming of the three men that die and a fourth man that lives. Does she need to find him to stop him from suffering the same fate? She arrives and finds the place exactly like the one from her slumbers. She even discovers the identity of the three men. Then she enjoys her hotel room and that’s when instead of solving the mystery, she becomes an enigma. Her daughter Mona (Gro Swantje Kohlhof) comes out to the town of Stainbach to figure out what’s wrong with her mother. She finds her mother’s dream journals and realizes there’s a lot of strangeness lurking in the sweet German town. Will Mona get caught up in the madness and end up like her mother or worse?
Sleep is weird enough to keep me glued for the entire running time. There’s nothing too obvious about a movie that does make everything feel a bit off. You can debate if the characters are real or stuck inside a dream. There are scenes where Mona is dreaming, but is she dreaming of that dream? And why are all these people in her dream like her mother’s dreams of the very real place? Did I mention there’s a wild boar popping up now and then? This might be a dangerous film to put into the Blu-ray player when you’re only half awake since you might have the film get sucked into your own dream. Although you’ll wonder why everyone is talking German and there’s a wild boar popping up in strange spaces. When you’re fully awake, Sleep is engrossing. I only wish I’d seen it at an ’80s art house since maintains a dream-like attitude from start to finish.
The video is 2.35:1 anamorphic. The transfer looks crisp even with the dream-like elements. The audio is German with a DTS-MA 5.1 audio mix and LPCM stereo mix if you don’t have a surround sound on your TV. The movie is subtitled in English
Audio commentary by film critic and historian Kim Newman & author Sean Hogan. The duo really get pretty deep into the dream structure.
A Strange Dark Magic (16:38) is a visual essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. She links the film with a Grimm Brothers story. She also brings in Motel Hell since there is a pig connection.
Sleepwalking through National Trauma (22:13) a visual essay by film critic Anton Bitel focuses on the inversion of expected norms in the film. He also digs into the Jenga moment in the film.
Dream & Folktale in Sleep (11:13) has anthropologist, dream researcher, and filmmaker Louise S. Milne talk about what goes on when we close our eyes. She also talks about how Jenga relates to the film. You might want to play a game before you watch Sleep.
Talking in their Sleep (2:17) features director Michael Venus and star Gro Swantje Kohlhof have a little fun introducing the Blu-ray release. Venus goes over the bonus features on the disc you’re watching.
A Dream We Dream Together (16:07) is a compilation of film festival introductions created during lockdown by director Michael Venus and the cast of Sleep. Since you can’t go on tour, they took the audience on a little journey.
Making Dreams Come True (2:46) gives a peak of behind the scenes of Sleep at the hotel. This includes a visit from the boar.
Deleted Scenes has four snipped moments.
Marlene’s Sketches gives a close up look at the dream journal sketches that from the film. They were created by artist Christoph Vieweg.
Trailer (1:39) hints at the strange mystery behind the dreams of the hotel.
Image Gallery includes promotional stills, posters and behind the scenes photographs.
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Oink Creative
Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Alison Peirse, an interview with director Michael Venus, and Brothers Grimm fairy tale “Frau Trude”
Double-sided fold-out poster featuring newly commissioned artwork by Oink Creative
Arrow Video presents Sleep. Directed by Michael Venus. Screenplay by Thomas Friedrich & Michael Venus. Starring Gro Swantje Kohlhof, Sandra Hüller & August Schmölzer. Running Time: 101 minutes. Rated: Unrated. Release Date: January 25, 2022.
