Vague Visages’ Sleep No More review contains minor spoilers. Antonia Bogdanovich’s 2022 movie features Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Luke Kleintank and Sebastian Roché. Check out the VV home page for more film reviews.

Directed by Antonia Bogdanovich (yes, the daughter of the late Peter Bogdanovich), Sleep No More is a do-over of the filmmaker’s 2014 film Phantom Halo. However, it’s difficult to see what was improved on, especially as both versions share an 87-minute runtime. This brisk pace can’t disguise the fact that Sleep No More remains a mishmash of clichés, genres and lackluster ideas.

Sleep No More focuses on a pair of brothers and petty criminals, Samuel (Thomas Brodie-Sangster)and Beckett (Luke Kleintank) — their father, Warren (Sebastian Roché), really loves theater. The former sibling has an innocent, hopeful countenance that reflects his naïve belief that a little heart and hustle will lift them out of poverty. Brodie-Sangster’s performance might have been more believable if Samuel were younger, especially given the character’s penchant for comic books. While there are plenty of adult comic book nerds out there (they rule the Hollywood box office, after all), Samuel’s genuine belief that he can bring the wisdom of Phantom Halo into the real world to solve his problems is far too quixotic.

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Kleintank does his best with the material, bringing a rugged determination to the struggling Beckett. The character’s romance with the boss’ lady, Miss Ross (played by the beautiful Rebecca Romjin), feels hurried, but their chemistry makes it believable. Romijn infuses her role with an enigmatic sadness, saving her from just fluttering around like a stereotype of a helpless housewife. Still, it’s a predictable situation that we’ve seen in many crime films before, and made even more hackneyed when Beckett randomly opens up about his mommy issues. His involvement in a money-printing scheme is one of the most thrilling aspects of Sleep No More, as it’s something that many people wish they could do. Beckett’s temptation to keep churning out and spending more and more, eventually catching the eye of the dangerous higher-ups, is incredibly suspenseful and riveting to watch.

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Every day, the brothers are doggedly pursued by loan sharks and gangsters looking to recover the alcoholic Warren’s hefty gambling debts. Even the worst of characters typically have an emotional complexity that buttresses their twisted motivations, yet Bogdanovich relies on heavy-handed exposition and clichéd dialogue about “spending every last penny on whisky” in order to shape Warren’s arc, giving Roché little else to do but yell. The character’s apparent love for Shakespeare is the only hint that, without his personal demons, he could have done something more with his intelligence and life if he had applied himself. 

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One of the many ways the brothers manage to keep a roof over their heads is by having Samuel recite Shakespeare soliloquies while Beckett pickpockets the audience…  just as they’re about to reach into their wallets to pay for the performance? It makes absolutely zero sense. While buskers are common in Los Angeles, and Shakespeare is undoubtedly one of the most respected forms of art, the idea that anyone would choose to stick around and pay a random street performer for a Shakespearean recitation — rather than music, dancing or another unique talent — seems far-fetched. Later, when Samuel starts interweaving his Shakespeare monologues with Phantom Halo lore, this gig becomes even more ridiculous. Bogdanvoich tries too hard to be clever by combining all these artistic references that don’t mesh well together. The most cringe-worthy moment is when Samuel kicks a guy and claims it’s a move inspired by the Phantom Halo’s attack on the Stinger, something he’s always wanted to try. The accompanying close-ups of comic book panels and swooshing sounds only make this moment even more cheesy.

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Another frustrating aspect of Sleep No More is the relentless barrage of music that tells viewers exactly how to feel: from weepy indie songs during confrontations to rap songs accompanying scenes of characters splurging on luxury cars with their printed money, and even cheesy retro tunes during humorous criminal escapades. This musical scramble mirrors Sleep No More’s sporadic shifts in genre and tone, whiplashing the audience with its vacillating between noir, broad comedy and melodrama. 

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Sleep No More culminates in a wild conclusion that comes out of nowhere, featuring Tobin Bell who looks straight out of a Western cartoon with his giant mustache. His calm, near-whisper of a voice (bringing to mind his famed role of Jigsaw in the Saw franchise) makes his character, Smashmouth, even more menacing, but the climax feels like it’s overly violent just to shock and jolt viewers out of boredom. Unfortunately, no matter what title you call it, Phantom Halo or Sleep No More, there is no saving Bogdanovich’s film, though there are the briefest glimmers of promise and intrigue. 

Sleep No More: Director’s Cut released in July 2024 via Iris Indie.

Caroline Madden (@crolinss) is the author of Springsteen as Soundtrack. She’s also a film critic who has written for Screen Queens, Reverse Shot, IndieWire and more. Caroline is the Editor in Chief of Video Librarian.

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