[4.00/10] Dans Ton Sommeil a.k.a. In Their Sleep (2010)

Dans Ton Sommeil

a.k.a.
In Their Sleep (2010)

This "modern" French horror/thriller, titled "In Their Sleep", follows Sarah, whose life is in pieces, one year after her teenage son's death. Then late one night, her car accidentally hits Arthur, a young man the same age as her boy, who suddenly emerges out of the forest and onto the road. Wounded and frightened, he is running from a mysterious assailant, hunting him down after Arthur caught him red handed in the act of burglary. Sarah sympathizes with him, taking him in, only to be tracked down by the burglar whose murderous rage towards Arthur forces her to take action. Unbeknownst to Sarah though, things aren't quite the way they seem… "In Their Sleep" is Caroline du Potet's first feature film, co-directed with brother Eric, and it shows. The film is not just dull, lifeless and incompetently-directed, but it also completely lacks suspense and actual thrills. It desperately tries to give you this realistic feel, but it miserably fails, as "In Their Sleep" is so rushed and contrived, it never succeeds in delivering a believable and effective story, or compelling enough characters. Caroline and Eric du Potet use an intricate plot structure and tricky editing, in order to complicate purposely this otherwise muddled and inert thriller. Unfortunately, directors' attempt to compensate for the film's overly simplistic and unintriguing story, could be considered a failed effort, as "In Their Sleep"'s complex structure does nothing but confuse the audience. Both, Anne Parillaud and Arthur Dupont, do a fairly good job in portreying Sarah and Arthur, but the problem lies in the script, as neither their characters are not fully developed, nor their relationship feels even remotely credible. Although tentatively proclaimed as a horror movie, "In Their Sleep" has very little to offer in terms of thrills, scares and gore. Yes, there are some dead and cut-throat scenes, but those are very few and lacking in gore and gruesomeness. The conclusion is a bit unexpected, yet completely unsatisfying and rather stupid. With its weak script, uninspired plot and lack of credibility, "In Their Sleep" is yet another poor exercise in filmmaking.