Shi Mian
2017 / 102m - Hong Kong
Horror
3.5*/5.0*
The Sleep Curse poster

Watches

September 29, 2017

3.5*/5.0*

Herman Yau and Anthony Wong reunited. It would be stretching it to say both gentlemen have each other to thank for their careers, but films like Untold Story and Ebola Syndrome really made a big difference when they were still trying to get higher up the food chain. It's also pretty cool to see the two men return to the horror genre.

A man suffering from sleep deprivation slowly turns into a veritable psychopath. His sister sees the danger and seeks the help of a sleep specialist. When he is taken in for a medical examination, the doctor begin to suspect there may be a supernatural cause for his symptoms. A vengeful spirit is supposedly keeping the man from falling asleep.

Yau is notorious for subverting genre clichés, or at least giving his endings a notable twist, and The Sleep Curse is a pretty fine example. The first 75 minutes or so are decent but somewhat predictable genre fare, after that both Yau and Wong crank up the intensity and horror, leaving me with my jaw on the floor. A fine recommend for those who appreciated their previous collaborations.