Sleep Tight

Do you believe that love is the most powerful emotion? Caesar would disagree. The driving force behind his actions is something radically different. Opposite emotions give him the strength to navigate through life, and he is willing to go further and take more risks to invoke them. It's not really a horror and it's not even a "serious" psychological drama about a pathological individual, and it's more of a mischievous thriller, which also includes elements of cynical humor, about a man who has decided to play with his surroundings and not burden himself with limiting morals. It's narrated from the manipulator's perspective, so the viewer is tempted to align with him for a certain period of time. I can't shake the feeling that the film would benefit from more restraint and wouldn't lose any of its impact if the results of Caesar's cruel games included scenes like settling scores with a pet caretaker, where it's understood that words can be deadly. Even in this form, the film doesn't lose its malicious allure, mainly thanks to the presence of Luis Tosar, who confirms that negative roles are more rewarding for actors. However, it is worth noting that there are flaws in the screenplay, and the film would have benefited if the screenwriter had played with it a bit more. Overall impression: 70%. (16/02/2021)

Whatever you expect from this, it will still get to you because this quirky genre film perfectly suits Balagueró. Whether it's due to the main character, who is actually likable, or the light-hearted narrative, which has some gentle black humor, through the excellent cast of tenants (the little girl rules, and especially the porn scene!), to the uncompromising finale, where the director doesn't deny what once "made" him. After all this, I'll mostly console myself with the fact that I'm too ugly a guy to be singled out for strange courtesy visits. :) 4 ½. (17/05/2012)

Well, that was quite perverted! Of course, I can't say I was not excited to see how it would all turn out... I was quite a fan of the somewhat peculiar janitor, but as the end approached, my sympathy for him dwindled somewhat. However, I definitely didn't get bored while watching the film, so the 4 stars I’m giving it are well deserved. (16/03/2020)

"'As You Sleep' is an example of how it was still possible to make a truly terrifying horror film even in recent years, without using any fantastical elements, but rather relying on a deranged individual who sends chills down your spine. The film is excellently executed both in terms of acting and directing, and definitely ranks among the very best in the horror genre to have ever been made. You won't easily forget such an experience." (03/02/2015)

It's an amusing pun in which I didn't really buy the truncated psychology, and I chuckled a few times at the rather simplistic cause-and-effect relationships (be it the actual process of putting the antagonist to sleep or the overall inability to make any kind of impact), but as a cynical take on Psycho, it's great. The motives and relationships between the characters are well fleshed out, and the finale is every bit as disturbing and entertaining as it should be, given its course. And when it gets heated and Balagueró tunes the horror note, it works quite naturally and intensely. 75 % (22/04/2022)