Don’t Sleep is heartless, fright-free and, yes - sleep-inducing.” Roger Moore, Movie Nation Whatever Bieber’s gifts to the cinema as a producer - and his name was all over that abortion Radio Flyer - here, he’s working by formula, attempting straight exploitation. Don’t Sleep is a film that works so hard to make an impression that it risks being remembered for all the wrong reasons.” Jennie Kermode, Eye for Film Though not in itself an unusual narrative device, it’s pasted into this film like a sticking plaster over a gushing wound, and the effect is less horrific or romantic than unintentionally hilarious. ” …the final scene introduces a whole new level of silliness that has to be seen to be believed. Zach also begins acting more than a little strangely, finally demonstrating that he’s truly possessed by a malevolent force when he and Shawn have sex and he takes her from behind, standing up.” Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter It has something to do with menacing hooded figures popping up periodically, looking not so much demonic as badly in need of dental work and acne medication. “To say that plotting is not the film’s strong suit is putting it mildly. “Perhaps it is also partly due to the lackluster special effects, but the big climactic revelation does not land, falling somewhere between a face-palm and a head-scratch Don’t Sleep is not recommended per se, but it is the sort horror film indulgent fans might find themselves inadvertently defending for reasons that escape them.” Joe Bendel, J.B. Shawn takes a steamy shower because, well, of course, she does.” Maitland McDonagh, Film Journal International Marino’s face turn demonic-looking, and Zach’s funny fat friend (every horror movie needs one) disappears-but he’s given to doing dumb stuff like that, so Zach barely notices. “Zach and Shawn see some scary things in cowls and Zach becomes (briefly) sexually aggressive, Shawn thinks she sees sweet Mr. This all leads to an ending that somehow manages to be even more of a disappointment than everything that preceded it.” G.J. The concept is convoluted and it is never really clear what the hell is going on or why. Don’t Sleep does not have any redeemable qualities and the movie just spirals out of control as it progresses. “Rick Bieber – whose fingerprints are all over this movie as he wrote, directed, and produced it – has created a jumbled mess. It’s not a lazy directorial effort, as Bieber does invest in mood, hitting a few sweet spots of grim activity as Zach is confronted by his nightmare enemies, even pummeled by one during an attack inside his car.” Brian Orndorf, “Bieber ( The Fifth Quarter) isn’t a sharp horror mastermind, trying to get by on loud scoring by Andy Mendelson and louder sound effects, which try too hard to jolt viewers, making authentic scares few and far between in Don’t Sleep. Instead there’s just one familiar jolt after another.” Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times An opening epigraph from Nietzsche about loneliness and demons suggests a deeper character study that never materializes. “But even with a solid cast at his disposal, Bieber can’t make Don’t Sleep anything more than a disconnected compendium of time-tested shock tactics. Too bad a great topic does not necessarily make a great film.” Simon Abrams, Don‘ t Sleep could have been a great horror movie. “Bieber never stops announcing his intentions to take on heavy subjects, whether it’s in the way that this characters baldly over-state their concerns without elaborating on them, or the way that his generic boogeymen antagonists allude to traumas without ever convincingly carrying them out. Once the threat of psychotic behavior turns into the possibility of demonic possession, Zach is confronted with a horrific reality he never could before have imagined…
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