Somnium

For an indie, this is really well done. All the elements are checked off....great acting performances, beautiful photography, captivating storyline and enough creepy, eerie moments that keep you engaged. I throughly enjoyed the lead actress Chloe Levine's performance of a small town girl trying to find her way in Hollywood and the downward spiral that happens from there.

Worth a view once as it IS problematic but not without merits. My main concerns with this film may seem a little petty lol but they are two key points I felt that removed me from the viewing experience. First off, the lead. While doing an overall decent job with the role, the one thing I couldn't get over (and this is the case with a lot of b-movie roles in general) was the accent, or lack thereove. Either commit or don't commit lol. She started off (allegedly being from Georgia) with this slight southern draw which works at the beginning because when she uses phrases like "y'all" you can see the cringe factor on the LA crowds' faces. But then it just disappears, completely and without warning. It happens tume and time again in movies like this and with roles like this. She *IS* an "aspiring actor" recently yransplanted in LA, but if that were the case IRL she would only be turning it off during auditions, etc, not in her daily life, not that quickly. Trivial? Yes. A pet peeve? Obviously.

Aside from that, the use of the particular compound cocktail in the Somnium facility completely detracted from yhe experience IMO. I have mixed feelings because anyone familiar with this cocktail knows full well that's not how it works and thise are not the effects it produces. For this reason maybe it should have been left a mystery or have been some fictional, experimental drug. However, as an allegory as to the transformative nature of this compound, yes, it works in that way if that was the writer's intent. Otherwise it comes off as a quick attempt at cashing in on current media buzzword.

Aside from those two points, there are glaring problems with the production which I won't get into here as it is impossible without revealing spoilers.

Overall however it is a weekend afternoon popcorn picture that is not at all the worst possible choice. I didn't regret seeing it, but it's nothing I will watch again. Very forgettable, in fact I'm only writing this review because I can see myself in a year or two being attracted by the cover art & premise and wondering if I should watch it again and my advice to future self: you've seen it, the low to mid rating is there for the reasons outlined above and more. Nothing to see here, move along....

A very solid film d'auteur where everything works in conjunction very well. It's not groundbreaking and it does have some minor plot holes, but as a whole, it's a film well worth your time.

Unfortunately, the story starts to show some cracks during the third act, which was only evident because of how invested I was from the start of the film. I also really liked the main lead's acting, she did a great job in a very particular role.

An unsettling, visually arresting plunge into the subconscious. It doesn't ask for your attention; it demands your surrender. From the moment the protagonist steps into the sleep clinic, reality begins to fracture, and the viewer is pulled into a realm where time, identity, and memory blur.

Chloë Levine delivers a haunting performance, balancing vulnerability with quiet defiance. Her portrayal anchors the film's surrealism with emotional truth, making even the most bizarre sequences feel grounded in something deeply human. The cinematography is hypnotic-soft, shadowy, and often claustrophobic-mirroring the protagonist's descent into psychological disarray.

The narrative isn't linear, and that's the point. Somnium thrives on ambiguity. It's not interested in giving answers, only in provoking questions: What is real? Who are we when we sleep? How much of our ambition is just a nightmare in disguise?

This isn't a film for everyone. It's slow-burning, cryptic, and at times frustratingly opaque. But for those willing to engage with its dream logic, Somnium offers a rare cinematic experience-one that lingers like a half-remembered dream long after the credits roll.

I love this movie. Post-moderism is dead, and from its fragmented corpse sprouts something new, and whole - piecing meaning back together for us. Giving us hope. Reminding us that in a complex world, the key to survival is actually quite simple, and accessible. This is now part of my collection. - The hand painted cover by Polish Poster Artist Aleksander Walijewski is also impressive - another thoughtful artistic choice by the makers of this film, aligning the movie with a living artist that represents the history of Polish Poster Art in the post-soviet era. This movie is deep.