Sleep Review: Lee Sun-Kyun, Jung Yu-Mi Battle Nocturnal Terror In Thriller That Will Keep You Awake
Sleep (NC16)
Starring Lee Sun-Kyun, Jung Yu-Mi
Directed by Jason Yu
Sleep: Lee Sun-Kyun and Jung Yu-Mi can’t decide what to watch on Netflix.
Lee Sun-Kyun, the Parasite actor with the deep and soothing voice, stars in this thriller that centres around sleep or lack thereof. The promising feature debut from Yu, who was Boon Joon-Ho’s assistant director on Okja, doesn’t waste any time in setting up the creepy tale with Soo-Jin (Jung) waking up one night to find her husband Hyun-Su (Lee) sleep-talking (“Someone’s inside”). The couple make nothing of it at first, chalking it up to stress (job insecurity, a new baby on the way). But when things get weirder and more terrifying — nasty late-night snacking, a missing dog and a ‘Here’s Johnny’-esque moment — Soo-Jin is forced to consider another possible cause for the parasomnia (psst, it’s the supernatural kind). Or is missing out on quality shut-eye flipping her out? The big reveal — involving a certain power tool — is bonkers. Just remember: next time you wake up with scratches, be wary, very wary. (3.5/5 stars) out in cinemas
Expend4bles (NC16)
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture
Directed by Scott Waugh
Expend4bles: (from left) Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson, Megan Fox, Dolph Lundgren, Jacob Scipio and Andy Garcia are ready to boogie on line-dancing night.
Old blood meets new blood, says the tagline. But what’s the point if the engine is shot? Not even new cast members — including Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, 50 Cent, and, er, Megan Fox (Ronda Rousey didn’t return the call?) — can reverse the laws of diminishing returns. Then again, you don’t come to an Expendables movie for greatness but some good old-school ’80s mayhem. The formula worked the first time but now it’s a bit long in the tooth. The actors look like they’re there for the paychecks while the bang-bang and boom-boom fail to generate any genuine excitement. Truly expendable. (2/5 stars) out in cinemas
Photos: Golden Village, Warner Bros Discovery
