A young actress leaves loved ones behind as she relocates to LA, dreaming of achieving fame and fortune in Hollywood. Upon being met by the harsh realities of the acting world, she starts working at an experimental sleep clinic that—much like the film industry—promises to make dreams reality.
★★★☆☆
Reminiscent of films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), or Christopher Nolan’s Inception (2010), Somnium dives into the power of dreams and the subconscious. Written and directed by Racheal Cain, her feature debut invites one to think about how the subconscious defines our perception of reality. In Aldous Huxley’s book Brave New World (1932), hypnopædia (sleep-learning) is used by the World State to instil certain beliefs and behaviours into its citizens’ minds. Similarly, a clinic in Somnium changes patients’ subconscious during their sleep, with the only difference that the latter consciously chose to undergo treatment, and gain from it on an individual level.
The film follows Gemma (Chloë Levine), who moves from a small town in Georgia to LA in order to pursue her dream of becoming a famous actress. To cover living expenses while auditioning, she takes on night shifts at an experimental sleep clinic called Somnium. The clinic makes patients’ “dreams come true” over the course of a six-week programme. During this time, customised images and audio rewire patients’ subconscious, preparing them for the future they have always dreamed of. While “sleep-sitting” the patients, Gemma notices there is more going on at the clinic than meets the eye. At the same time, she becomes increasingly tortured by self-doubt and memories of the life she left behind.
The idea of a sleep clinic based in LA, the city of dreams, is a brilliant concept, and has lots of potential. Many ethical concerns arise, given that such a business model could easily be exploited. As Somnium’s dream designer Noah (Will Peltz) explains to Gemma, he can make patients believe anything. Simultaneously, the concept makes one wonder how the subconscious defines our perception of reality. Are things we perceive to be true about ourselves, especially negative things, rooted in reality? Or is the subconscious defining individual realities?
Unfortunately, in the overall storyline, this concept is overshadowed by Gemma’s struggles as she strives to establish herself as an actress. At times, it almost feels like there are two different narratives. Most of the film has a coming-of-age-story feeling to it, despite being labelled as a sci-fi thriller. This doesn’t necessarily make it a less interesting watch, as Gemma’s dreams and ambitions are of the kind Somnium turns into reality, but the connection between the two narratives feels rather vague.
Gemma’s character development is also not very convincing, being predictable and unnecessarily cliché at times. Many flashbacks only emphasize these clichés, leaving one to wonder when the film will start properly. When it finally does kick off, the line between dreamworld and reality gets more and more blurred. This is done so effectively that confusion takes over, culminating in what seems to be an incoherent ending.
Somnium is mostly set in what feels like very confined and small spaces, such as Gemma’s apartment and the sleep clinic. This creates a thriller-esque kind of suspense, and feels effectively claustrophobic. On the flip side, it also makes the already simple cinematography look amateurish at times. Besides the concept, the film’s strongest aspect is probably its cast. Gemma is brilliantly portrayed by Levine, with others such as Peltz or Johnathon Schaech (as Brooks, a movie producer with ambiguous intentions) positively adding to the ensemble.
The Verdict
For those in search of a cohesive plot and nicely tied-up ending, Somnium’s shortcomings might be a bit of a killjoy. However, the film’s core concept is a great one, definitely making it worth a watch for those interested in anything sci-fi.
Words by Mila Curlin
Somnium will be available on demand in the UK & Ireland from 8 September.
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