Oh, I didn’t realize Sleep Stalker was going to be a found footage feature. Not that I’m complaining, although, I do take the genre very seriously. When executed correctly, I feel like it brings true terror to the table because it forces you to think ‘what if that was me?’ Shot by Swim Swim Entertainment, who previously produced Shark Girl, Sleep Stalker is available on most digital retailers and it’s a mix of modern story-telling and mid-2000s aesthetic. The film follows a young couple who purchase a home sight unseen in hopes of giving it some serious renovations. Only after moving into the property do they start to realize this isn’t going to be like their other house flipping. As night falls, their cameras begin recording the madness that made their YouTube channel go dark.
Sleep Stalker is written, directed and produced by Justin Shilton & Rob Zazzali. It features cinematography by Jeffy Can and editing by Travis Greene. Lead cast members include Josh Gilmer, Gabrielle Montes de Oca, Brian Guest, Alexandra Corin Johnston and Terryn Westbrook, although Gilmer and Oca are the stars of the flick. In this simple narrative, Shane (Gilmer) and Abby (Oca) are popular DIY vloggers who start their latest home improvement adventure. Days within moving into the property, the supposed haunting starts small – objects falling by themselves, Shane walking around in a trance and… gardening? However, as the days turn into weeks, Shane’s trances become even weirder and increasingly violent. It begs the question, is it a true haunting or something darker within him?
Obviously Sleep Stalker bears some resemblance to Paranormal Activity, so let’s get that plot point out of the way. Both films feature a young couple in a mysterious property where some creepy shit goes down. They’re both found footage flicks that were produced impeccably and feature above average acting performances. However, where Paranormal Activity focuses on the haunting and its malevolency, Sleep Stalker appears to focus more on the mental turmoil and breakdown of a loving relationship. So, to me, this flick is equal parts mystery, horror and drama. I would say Sleep Stalker and Paranormal Activity exist in the same universe while remaining distinctly original in their oppression of the main characters. And without a sturdy support system, evil will always win.
My one complaint is Sleep Stalker is all bark and no bite. I feel like it wanted to ‘go there,’ but was too afraid to take the risks. There’s a lot of wash, rinse and repeat where Justin Shilton & Rob Zazzali could have added more horror elements. Like when Shane and Abby use the Ouija board, which undoubtedly always makes matters 100 times worse. Luckily, this pitfall is simply remedied by, well, the actor who plays Shane (Josh Gilmer) is really, really hot and Sleep Stalker finds him in various stages of undress literally every other scene. If you dangle grade A eye candy in front of me the whole movie, it’s going to warrant a positive review no matter what because I’m always thirsty. Sure, he’s also a great actor, but that body and face card never decline.
Although not always prime with its execution, Sleep Stalker shows there is still room for minimalistic storytelling in Hollywood. And even though it’s low on the horror scale, it’s pretty successful with everything else. Well done. Final Score: 6 out of 10.
