Sleepwalker (2000)

Great Film overall

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

The director succeeds at building a murky atmosphere ,probably influenced by David Lynch,particularly " lost highway" and the amateur side of "Blair witch project" .There are very few sleepwalkers in the fantastic cinema and focusing a story on such a character is original.The weakest link is the screenplay which falls apart at every nail ,which the final unexpected twist can hardly redeem ,even if it's repeated twice (the second time,an innovation,in the middle of the final cast and credits).Nothing more than a curio.

I was hoping the story would have an exciting, real plot. "A man murders people during his sleep". "Someone murders people while another man sleeps and makes him believe he did it". I even agreed on buying hard-to-believe situations or coincidences, such as "he's a suspected runaway murderer BUT his house isn't even looked after by a cop". But what comes at the end of this film will really make you regret you stepped into this. At least, if what comes during the whole film doesn't, already, make you want to walk out the theater, or turn the T.V. off. Nonsensical event after nonsensical event, the director expects to raise some interest in the spectator with a bunch of dead fish, some "nightshot" camcorder pictures painted red, or the lame acting of all the actors (who, by the way, aren't even nice to look at). If it's too late and you have already bought the seats, or rented the videotape, well, you might as well watch it. But you'll be warned: the effort of going through this clearly stupid and ugly movie will not be rewarded at the end, it will be punished because watching it is VAIN and painful (for any serious film aficionado, that is).

This is definitely one of the best Swedish horror films of the recent years. (Not that there are that many)I found it quite scary actually from time to time, and I was hooked as soon as the film started. Being the horror freak that I am, I was surprised to find out I actually could be scared by ANY movie, so I was almost religious at the end of this. It is so thrilling and exciting it won't let you breath until it's over! The actors were all great, and the whole style of the film the director has given it is stunning! The music also adds to the atmosphere in the most genius ways. I love this movie!

A couple of times, I have pointed out the best movie in Sweden in 2000. First I thought that "Tillsammans" was the best, then I saw "Före stormen" and found that one even better. Now I know how wrong I've been and that there can't be any better than this right now - I've seen "Sleepwalker".Ulrik Hansson lives with his wife Monica and their two children in a house, he has a good job and everything seems normal. But Ulrik has had sleeping disorders and has walked while being asleep, something he takes medicine for. One morning he wakes up covered with blood in his own bed and his wife and his children are missing. What's happened to them? And who has done it? Has Ulrik been doing things to them in his sleep?Horror/thrillers don't come often in the Swedish film industry and it's a delight that this one is as good as it is. The directing by Runeborg (his debut!) is brilliant, probably the best I've seen in a long time. The script is clever, thrilling and even gets you to the wrong lead a several times. The acting is good, too (Novotny is surprisingly good) and for the first time ever in Sweden, a movie is superbly shot. Sharp photography, interesting camera angles; you name it, this movie has it. Even excellent editing.Promising to the future. I hope to see more movies created by this crew.Rating: 8.5/10