Directed by Michael Venus
Written by Thomas Friedrich and Michael Venus
Starring Gro Swantje Kohlhof, Sandra Hüller and August Schmӧlzer
Running time: 1 hour and 42 minutes
Language: German

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport

A global pandemic (being exacerbated by the United States), racial inequality, unemployment on the rise, the possible demise of the US postal service and the prospect of another four years of a cheese curl stained turd with legs and arms as our President… If you're wondering if I have been sleeping well, the answer is NO (said in Klopek voice).

Occasionally, I have managed to catch a few winks with the assistance of copious amounts of alcohol. Without the aid of libations, it has otherwise been a crap shoot. Insomniatic nights filled with true crime documentaries and buzzed food making decisions involving curly fries smothered in jarred queso. Guys, life is soooooo bad right now. There is no sugar coating it... everything is VILE. So what is a Kicks to do? Well, turn to movies naturally. With Michael Venus’s Sleep, I may not be able to relate to nightmares hosted by a witchy woman, but I sure as heck understand what it is like to wake up screaming. Sandra Hüller (known from Toni Erdmann) plays Marlene, a mother that is haunted by horrific dreams that have caused her to descend into a manic depression. Due to this, her daughter Mona (played by Gro Swantje Kohlhof), has taken on the role of den mother which includes prepping lunches, making doctor appointments, picking up pills and ensuring Marlene makes it to work on time. Their relationship is complicated, yet I was struck by the necessity of it. The actors portrayed these characters in such a way that left me with the impression they were at ease with one another and had an actual rapport.

When Mona receives a phone call to inform her that her mother has been admitted to the hospital, her already turned upside down world has now become inside out. Mona finds her mother in what is referred to as a “shock induced paralysis” unable to obtain any answers of what led to her condition. She returns to the scene of the incident, a hotel in a remote wilderness village in Germany. The hotel is not a place that Mona previously visited, yet it is familiar. After finding frenzied sketches left behind by her mother it is realized this particular setting has been part of Marlene's recurring nightmarish visions.

When Mona visits the hotel room that her mother stayed in, she finds the room much like Marlene’s mind, disheveled. From here Mona takes on the role of a sleuth, as she gathers the scattered pieces of the puzzle that ultimately leads her to understand her mother’s trouble filled past. The overall story is much like what one experiences while they sleep; a twisty tale in which fiction often is mistaken for reality. In watching the picture I could not help but feel as if I was watching an updated iteration of The Shining. The eccentric characters, in particular the owners of the establishment, Otto (August Schmӧlzer) and Lore (Marion Kracht) take the story to another level of unusual. A scene comes to mind in which Otto gives Mona a tour of the grounds while ever so leisurely toting around his axe. As if it was merely a pointer one would find a teacher using to emphasize a math problem on the blackboard. I couldn’t help but sense the Jack Torrance vibes coming from Otto. The interesting yet minimal production design gives the hotel setting the opportunity to be a character within the story as well. I believe that, often, dreams are trying to tell me something. Much like they are portrayed within this film, they are not always straightforward, there are layers. Sometimes though finding your way can be easier when you have the assistance from your grandmother who just so happens to be a witch.

Sleep will be available On Demand through Fantasia Film Festival August 20th through September 2nd.