Sleep Tight (2011)

Strong and Moving!

Absolutely Fantastic

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

A sick, twisted & nightmarish psychological horror pierced with undercurrents of black comedy, Sleep Tight (also known as Mientras duermes) is a brutal, intense & nail-biting example of its genre that's absolutely merciless with its content and only gets more unnerving as plot progresses.The story of Sleep Tight follows an apartment caretaker who deals with his own miserable existence by making others feel the same. His latest target is a cheerful resident whom he finds difficult to agitate when compared to others, which in turn compels him to go to extreme lengths to break her down mentally.Directed by Jaume Balaguero (best known for REC), the premise is simple & set up real quick and once the audience is let in on the events at play here, it becomes an utterly discomforting ride. Balaguero ratchet things up in a very methodical fashion, escalating the tension gradually to a point where it's almost tangible.The script doesn't delve deep into the character's psyche or background but that's not much of an issue, for its close proximity to real-life scenario is sufficient to keep the viewers invested in the story. The horror elements are effectively utilised while their visceral quality results in some truly nerve-wracking moments.A sense of uneasiness pervades the frames from start to finish and every little twist only amplifies its unsettling aura. Camerawork is excellent throughout, employing clever angles to deliver maximum impact. Its 102 minutes runtime is expertly paced & finely edited. And its brooding score & first-rate sound keep things on the edge at all times.Despite the lack of character depth, the actors play their part rather well and deliver compelling performances. Luis Tosar plays the concierge who takes great pleasure in torturing others and his quiet rendition & calm demeanour only contributes to the spiteful persona he brings to life. Marta Etura is no slouch in the role of the cheery resident and chips in with a strong act.On an overall scale, Sleep Tight is harrowing, unsparing & capable of unleashing worse nightmares than most horror flicks of today, all because of how messed up yet plausible its premise actually is. An emotionally devastating & soul-shattering ride that benefits greatly from Balaguero's sharp direction & Tosar's deranged act, Sleep Tight is an extremely underrated chiller that's worthy of a broader audience. Highly recommended.

I like Jaume Balagueró films and this does nothing to change that.Slow moving, climatically downbeat Spanish thriller that gradually gets under your skin. All you can do is sit helplessly but enthralled at the despicable events unfolding in front of you.Good central performance from Luis Tosar whose character is a real twisted bastard. Some flaws in the plot but quite a bit of suspense. A good film that lingers in the mind after it's finished.

And the Lifetime Achievement of the Most Creepiest Stalker Award goes to…It's so odd ever siding with a monster, but we occasionally do it, anyways. Who couldn't like Hannibal Lecter? Charming, smart, interested in…you. One of the craftiest ways of showing humanity to a savage is showing their normal, personal life with interactions, pleasantries and reasons behind their mask.Sleep Tight does it beautifully here. One moment you're seeing a friendly albeit depressed to the brink of suicide individual and the next, well, you won't believe your eyes on what this man does. Pure evil. Disgustingly horrific stuff. And, then, back to being the meek apartment concierge that's kinda likable, despite his Mr. Hyde.Said concierge, César, is madly obsessed (to put it lightly) with one of the tenants, "Miss Clara," who could also double as "Mrs. Rogers." Oh, sorry, old reference. She's so happy and positive, she's the anti-César. Night after night, César makes sure their relationship is closer than most people ever experience…yet, all the while, this is unbeknownst to Clara.This is a horror movie with a small amount of blood. Well, I bet someone in this movie might disagree, but my point is: the lack of gore here is replaced by unthinkable and revolting actions. Wonderfully acted all-around, increased suspense to the end and scary for how this couldn't just happen in real life, it may just be true… somewhere. I've seen creepy-stalker films before, but I haven't seen anything like this. So, live in an apartment building with a concierge? Sleep tight…***Final thoughts: Suicide is never the answer, but damn, was it hard not to root for this man to fulfill his desire.

This is a seriously creepy film. It's a very interesting character study of a stalker. The film builds slowly, but as the story develops you start to see the workings of a despicable man, all while you'll start thinking that this could actually happen!The film comes from the same director who mad REC (which was great) and it is also set in an apartment block which makes for a great setting and provides a good place for character development. What a disturbing character this man is. A very memorable one. Great performances form the two leads.Overall opinion: A great character study, much more disturbing than most horror movies.Also reminded me of another Spanish classic: The skin I live in..