Every now and then a French horror film comes along that will keep you glued to the edge of you’re seat with suspense and fear. In 2004 we had Switchblade Romance, 2006 we had Them, and joining the ranks this year is In Their Sleep. There is a common theme of paranoia with regards to safety in your own home. Them more so than Switchblade Romance shows how we’re not even safe within our own walls, and In Their Sleep carries the same strong message.
While driving home one night, Sarah accidentally hits a young man, Arthur, with her car. He’s not severely injured, and being that it’s late and they’re miles away from the nearest hospital, Sarah, a nurse, decides to take him home to dress his wounds. He tells her that he was running from an intruder who entered his home, and that the burglar saw his face and would now stop at nothing to silence him. It soon becomes clear that Sarah is in immanent danger and all is not as it seems.
In Their Sleep comes from brother and sister directing duo Eric and Caroline du Potet, whose previous credits include producing the ultra-violent Inside and Frontiers. The bar is raised with In Their Sleep, however, as on top of their trademark violence they have also crafted a highly suspenseful film that is riddled with tension.
Up until the reveal roughly three quarters the way through the film of the truth of the events taking place, the movie plays out with the kind of shocks and tense build up that French horror cinema is becoming very well known for. After the reveal, however, things start to slow down, and suspense gives way to melancholia. Both Sarah and Arthur are clearly unhinged individuals, and we see them build a maternal connection, despite the events they are going through.
OVERALL SUMMARY
In Their Sleep does a very good job of setting up an atmosphere of false safety, and then shatters it with a series of violent killings and a terrific build up of tension. The film loses its way a little as it takes a turn for the melancholic, but it is still something well worth a watch. Another master class in French horror.
