Sleep Tight (2011)

Best movie ever!

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

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.

Launching straight into a mysterious and then thrilling story, it steers in a curious direction. It is very well paced, performed, penned and directed, and although the general subject matter is the average stalker film, the psycho's motives are slightly different.The happy young woman, full of life and future, is an ideal victim as it is happiness and life force (not the physical human being) the psychopath wishes to destroy. Unlike psychos in films, he doesn't wield a knife, and doesn't wish to consume, manipulate, kill or possess another human being. In fact, his only murder victim is unintentional and therefore collateral. From the primary victim he removes energy, her love interest, and far worse. From the old lady he removes a necessary illusion, and from the young girl he removes security and innocence. There is also his invalid mother as well as the cleaner and her son who fall victim to his scheming. In fact not only does he successfully remove the joie de vivre from the victims but he manages to seal their fates for the rest of their lives as the denouement shows him shrouding the main victim in eternal desperate sadness.Thrilling, interesting, and effective this Spanish thriller-horror certainly stands out in its genre.

SPOILERS!Sleep Tight is about a creepy man who works in a apartment building as a concierge, who creeps in everybody's apartments, especially in Clara's apartment. The creepy man Cesar has made a mission to make everybody's life's miserable. The movie focus a lot on him being mean to a lot of people. Making them suffer but mostly coming into Clara's apartment and drug her in her sleep, for his own sexual needs….This dude loves to make a lot of people suffer. The reasons is because he is depressed and lonely, this we can see in the movie back. We can see the woman Clara always being happy and bright, which makes Cesar kinda feel like jealous and wants to destroy her life, so that he isn't the only sad one. That's what I got from the movie. Even though he is really depressed and has a bad life, he is really a bad man, who gives me the creeps!! The movie was actually interesting to watch. I'm a person who doesn't like a very slow movie and this movie happened to started fast into actions.