Sleepwalker (2017)

Introduction
"Sleepwalker" is a suspenseful thriller released in 2017, written by Jack Olsen and directed by Elliott Lester. The movie stars Ahna O'Reilly as Sarah and Richard Armitage as Dr. Scott White. It draws a thin line in between reality and the subconscious, leaving its audiences second-guessing what's real and what's not. This mental thriller spirals around the life of a woman dealing with a sleep disorder, which eventually heightens into a haunting journey of unpredictability.

The Plot
Sarah (Ahna O'Reilly), a grad student at a well-reputed university, is suffering from parasomnia or sleepwalking. Following the strange disappearance of her hubby, nights become a scaring journey for Sarah as she experiences episodes of sleepwalking. Rather frighteningly, she awakens in various places with no recollection of her actions while sleepwalking.

Desperate to discover a solution to her issue, Sarah seeks help from a sleep proving ground. There, she fulfills Dr. Scott White (Richard Armitage), a rather compassionate yet strange sleep professional. He ends up being a seeming knight in shining armor for the distressed Sarah, but as the days pass, the doctor himself grows similarly strange, taking the audience on a suspenseful journey.

The Twisted Reality
As Sarah's sleepwalking intensifies, it begins to blur the line in between her dreams and truth. 2 parallel worlds exist-- one that Sarah lives while awake and the other, her life while sleepwalking. As an audience, you discover yourself tangled in the intricacies of the plot, feeling sorry for Sarah's plight, and trying to compare truth and hallucinations.

There are subplots within the movie that contribute to the uncertainty. Sarah makes consistent trips to her marital home where her truth becomes distorted even more, every time she pays a see. The eerie appearance of a lady who resembles her late mother contributes to the suspense and induces a sense of dread in the audience.

The Climax and Conclusion
The development of the movie alters the audience's point of view time and once again, meant to reflect Sarah's own disorientation. As Sarah dives deeper into the sleep condition, the reality starts to unfold - the fine line in between the dream state and truth, along with the ambiguity towards Dr. Scott White's character, lastly start to clean up. Whether he is her rescuer or a delusion of her distressed subconscious is the ultimate concern the movie attempts to address.

The climax continues to baffle, leaving the ending primarily to the audience's interpretation. The movie discreetly suggests that everything taking place is an outcome of Sarah's distorted understanding, which all at once constructs and traps her in an excessive mental maze.

Final Thoughts
All in all, "Sleepwalker" is an engaging psychological thriller that masterfully illustrates the lead character's struggle with her sleep disorder and her truth, which is constantly elusive. However, the open-to-interpretation narrative style may not sit well with everyone. If you like an excellent psychological labyrinth and narratives that blur the line between dreams and truth, this film might just be worth the watch.

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