Jason Yu, a South Korean director, has found critical and box office success with his first feature film, “Sleep.” The psychological horror movie tells the story of a couple whose relationship is tested when the husband begins sleepwalking. Yu created realistic and unsettling portrayals of sleep disorders and marriage to craft an exploration of human psychology.
“Sleep” opens in U.S. theaters on September 27, 2024. Acclaimed director Bong Joon-ho praised the film, calling it “the smartest debut I’ve seen in ten years.” Yu started in an unlikely genre for a first-time director, as he was easily scared by horror movies himself. However, the subject matter of sleepwalking demanded the psychological horror format. Yu studied classics like “The Shining” and “Rosemary’s Baby” to inform his direction.
Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Yu-mi, known for “Parasite” and “Train to Busan” respectively, take the lead roles. Their characters resemble Yu’s own relationship with his wife at the time he wrote the script. Yu aimed to realistically portray how a sleep disorder could challenge a marriage. He shot in a sterile, apartment-like environment to enhance discomfort through contrasts with the characters’ unraveling situations.
The director structured the narrative into two halves focused on the perspectives of each spouse. This evolved from test screenings where the format shift worked well. While not planned from the start, Yu feels it strengthened the final film. Positive reception in Korea and internationally has surprised Yu, recouping costs with further success. He is currently developing more films, including a bigger-scale horror and a romantic comedy genre he enjoys as a viewer.
