4/5* Shivs Show | Siobhan Divers
Dir: Rowan Joffé
92 mins
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Anne-Marie Duff.
Psychological and suspenseful, Before I Go to Sleep is an immersive watch.
50 First Dates meets Happy Death Day (2017) meets The Shining (1980), meets Hitchcock’s Spellbound, Before I Go to Sleep is a must-see thriller film for fans of the genre (or any of the films named above).
Amnesiac Christine (Nicole Kidman) suffered a vicious attack which almost claimed her life. As a result of this, she loses her short-term memory at the end of each day, waking up thinking she is still in her 20s despite being in her 40s with no recollection of the past twenty or so years.
Each day she is reacquainted with her husband, Ben (Colin Firth) and her doctor Mike Nasch (Mark Strong) who both appear to care deeply for her – though when she begins to remember snippets of her past and uncover the truth, she doesn’t know who to trust.
Shameless star AnneMarie Duff features in a supporting role, playing Christine’s long lost friend from college and other than this, there aren’t a large number of other cast members, with the storyline and plot being carried through the perfomances of the three leads and the elements of horror and edge-of-your-seat thrilling sequences.
Gripping and exciting with strong performances from the three leads, Before I Go to Sleep is intense and exciting.
And typical of the thriller genre, there’s a big twist to look forward to – all is never as it seems.
The big questions throughout are: who attempted to kill Christine and will they try again? And the audience are in the dark as much as Christine is, making it all the more anticipating…
If you liked this, please read, like and comment on my other reviews here.
I also have a Letterboxd account where I post some short reviews of the most recent films I’ve seen.
And don’t forget to follow my Twitter and Instagram
Siobhan
Shiv's Show 