Film Review – Sleepwalker (2026)

      **Sleepwalker, 2026.**

      **Written and Directed by Brandon Auman.**

      **Starring Hayden Panettiere, Justin Chatwin, Beverly D’Angelo, Mischa Barton, Lori Tan Chinn, Eric Lutes, Kea Ho, Laird LaCoste, Corinne Sweeney, Cathy Salvodon, Gene Dante, and Chris Everett.**

      **SYNOPSIS:**

      A grieving mother is tormented by the tragic death of her daughter in a car accident that left her abusive husband in a coma. Struggling with terrifying visions, she confronts the hazy boundaries between reality and nightmares.

      Sleepwalking alone is a chilling condition that poses numerous risks, making it a solid foundation for a horror film. However, Sleepwalker is burdened with unnecessary absurdities crafted by writer/director Brandon Auman, leading to a predictably foolish conclusion that generates more questions than it answers, ultimately rendering most of the events, including the concept itself, absurdly pointless.

      Prior to this, viewers are subjected to an unending series of nightmare sleepwalking scenes featuring generic jump scares and illogical scenarios. For instance, how can someone get into a car and drive while sleepwalking? This is among the film's queries that I'm relieved lacks a concrete answer, as the sleepwalking aspect only becomes more ridiculous, moving towards comical levels.

      From the outset, there’s ambiguity about who is actually sleepwalking. An opening scene depicts Sarah (Hayden Panettiere, adequate as a mother teetering on the edge of a mental collapse) comforting her young daughter, Aimee (Corinne Sweeney), after a nightmare, explaining that counting to five in a dream allows one to awaken, regardless of how terrifying or surreal it might be. One of the film's few redeeming moments occurs when this saying is creatively used for a visual scare, showcasing a hand transforming into one with ten fingers, or what seems like two hands fused into one limb. Nonetheless, it's clear that Sarah is the one dreaming and that her daughter is deceased, leaving her drowning in grief and guilt over the incident.

      Sarah receives counsel from various sources, including her cheerful mother (Beverly D’Angelo) and numerous therapists, as she strives to remain present while raising her son Holden (Laird LaCoste), who mostly occupies himself with child-friendly games on a tablet. Although he misses playing with his sister, he displays little emotion, making it hard for anyone to discern that he has lost a sibling. This overwhelmed, separated mother has also been in constant conflict with her ex-husband, Michael (Justin Chatwin), an emotional manipulator who provides valid reasons to support Sarah’s claims of his physical abuse. Currently, Michael is in a coma, and his sister holds Sarah responsible for the situation.

      Michael also appears in Sarah’s tormenting sleepwalking episodes, taking on a sinister form reminiscent of a clumsy version of Michael Myers, albeit with more paint than an actual mask. Consequently, some of these dreams double as flashbacks, which could be seen as mildly clever attempts to blur the lines between reality and the hell she’s being dragged into. However, Justin Chatwin’s performance is so exaggerated that it becomes hard to connect with the domestic trauma aspect of the story.

      Sleepwalker is laden with irritating misdirection (including graphic depictions of various ways Aimee could have died), resulting in a frustrating viewing experience, as one waits for the big reveal. Astonishingly, the truth is presented in an exposition dump that practically unfolds in the film's final moments, capped off by one last ridiculous twist that solidifies that, for all its clever tricks regarding dreams and sleepwalking, the movie itself is monotonous and tedious.

      **Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★**

      **Robert Kojder**