There is something about In My Sleep that gives off a distinctive ‘80s vibe. This revenge thriller starring Philip Winchester as Marcus, a sex addicted sleepwalker who also happens to massage people for money, trades on lo-fi visuals. His friendship with Justin (Tim Draxl) and wife Ann (Kelly Overton), form the backbone of this murder mystery. With subliminal montage moments that delve into Marcus’ subconscious motivations, In My Sleep gets progressively more sophisticated. Although the bloody murder weapons, short term memory loss, and heavy-handed symbolism might seem a little old hat – on this occasion it works perfectly.
Reminiscent of Christopher Nolan’s Memento, with its focus on a protagonist who has problems clinging to reality, In My Sleep leans into this formula with some success. By handcuffing himself to bed frames and putting a stop to those sleepwalking escapades, Marcus hopes to understand where this all started. With the police questioning everyone who knew Ann after she goes missing, but not before herself and Marcus have done something unforgivable, In My Sleep morphs into an extramarital murder mystery. Trying to hide his transgressions from Justin and popping pills to prevent any further potential killing sprees, Marcus has his work cut out.
With lashings of unresolved childhood trauma, awkward graveside confrontations, and fractured friendships – In My Sleep certainly puts the effort in. This recent Prime Video release may not have all the marketing of a mainstream whodunnit, or carry a cast that would get people talking, but it does have a solid story. There is an undeniable flare and panache about those lo-fi effects shots, that make this feel like a Columbo throwback without the eponymous Peter Falk. Make no mistake, this is a compliment, since that series is still a consistent highwater mark for murder mystery movies many are unable to match.
Philip Winchester might have a little too much Nathan Fillion about him, but again, this is no bad thing. There are some solidly serious indie acting chops on display from Winchester in the pivotal role of Marcus. A touch too cheesy, a little too exasperated for his own good, but matching the tone of this material fearlessly – he consistently adds value. For all the reasons audiences might want to avoid In My Sleep, it may end up becoming a guilty pleasure. Swimming pool tussles, conveniently kooky next door neighbours, and wronged relatives missing the mark are all present and correct. Writer-director Allen Wolf might not be reinventing the wheel here or pretending that his latest offering is in any way original. However, what he does do with In My Sleep is make a film that is out to blatantly entertain.
For audiences who are after some old-fashioned movie diversions with a little murder mystery thrown in for good measure, look no further than In My Sleep. A lo-fi look back at ‘80s thrillers from a contemporary standpoint. One that has a real love for this time in cinema history and aims to entertain and confound in equal measure.
In My Sleep is available on Prime Video now.