Jay Rohr
Somnium promises the wild potential of a fever dream. This slow burn to a deceptive conclusion does a fabulous job of building character insight. Yet, the possibilities it leaves on the table, veering through safer clichés, sometimes for slight subversions, undermines a lot of what’s done well. The result is less of a horror movie, and more of a dark surreal drama about the pursuit of fame.
Gemma is an aspiring performer looking for any opportunity in the acting industry. Struggling to pay bills, she takes a job at the peculiar Somnium company. The position primarily involves being a night watcher, keeping an eye on slumbering clients. People sleep here in specialized equipment which purportedly alters their minds, allowing them to achieve their dreams. What starts out as a boring low pay occupation gradually turns into something sinister as Gemma becomes increasingly aware of evil implications.
Chloë Levine (The Sacrifice Game) does a wonderful job providing a relatable protagonist. Her expressions often say more than the dialogue does. She captures the tragic optimism of someone aspiring to grasp their dreams confronted with a constant sense of failure. Her portrayal of Gemma is a heartbreaking performance full of sympathy inspiring subtlety.
That’s why it would have been nice to see Somnium take more risks. The strong leading performance could have easily held up a more interesting narrative. Though it’s no surprise Levine won a well-earned Best Actress award at Filmquest 2024, the movie is an ocean of potential offering a shallow puddle.
Somnium contains hints of broader ideas. The ambition to deconstruct a classic narrative about a starry-eyed ingénue seems to be there. Yet, the film doesn’t explore any new territory. Sometimes it toys with presumptions, such as with the events surrounding Jonathon Schaech (Suitable Flesh) as a mover and shaker who takes an interest in Gemma. The outcome audiences expect is not where the movie takes viewers. The fact that the filmmakers knew how to subvert that expectation reveals they could have come up with other clever avenues.
Still, while the aspiring entertainer angle is old hat, Somnium touches on aspects of such a narrative that do feel fresh. Gemma’s story is largely an exploration of loneliness alongside hints of impostor syndrome. At such times, the nightmare of doubt haunting her life makes for an intriguing narrative. There’s also a delightfully dread inducing sense that something is amiss with reality from the very beginning.
Writer-director Rachael Cain makes several smart choices that quietly inform audiences about Gemma. These aren’t blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments, but they do insist someone pay attention. Watching Gemma unpack various trinkets such as an acting trophy provide massive implications without any need for expository dialogue. Somnium is initially full of such clever subtle building blocks. That’s why some patches of dialogue are so disappointing.
The press kit notes how the filmmakers intentionally cast certain social media personalities, specifically Draya Michele, Kio Cyr, and Emily Mei. While this cleverly allowed them to get free advertising when these folks told their followers about the film, giving them something to do other than simply appear on screen meant crafting clunky dialogue for their bespoke roles. One particular interaction loses a lot when it becomes an exposition dump.
In fact, Somnium has several points where the movie stops to explain itself rather than trusting the audience to arrive at any conclusions. To be fair, one occasion is necessary as it explains what the company does. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the film is typically spoon-feeding most of its notions to the viewer. Consequently, Somnium is often telling the audience what to think as opposed to letting them form conclusions.
This all culminates in a closing act that wants to end with some degree of ambiguity. Although it may amount to weak sauce for many, the build up to it is well done. There’s a degree of uncertainty throughout Somnium that should leave audiences wondering what exactly is going on. Even if one guesses the end, doubt will likely creep in beforehand. Embracing that uncertainty, Rachael Cain crafts some fabulous tension building instances.
Such scenes are helped largely by a degree of smartly utilized darkness. The whole film is shrouded throughout. Even bright scenes are made ethereally eerie thanks to grim tints. When color does splash into view it often relates a notion of things being out of sorts or artificial. Shadows as well as out of focus forms in the background help stir up suspense as one wonders what is there. And when a horrific entity is finally revealed, it strikes a haunting chord, especially as the narrative changes its implication.
Somnium does a marvelous job of letting the audience get to know Gemma. Chloë Levine enhances those connections with a powerful performance. Sadly, the other parts feel like cogs rather than people.
The performances are fine. Peter Vack (Assholes) provides a plausible lost love. Clarissa Thibeaux (Runaways) offers a coworker with valid concerns about aspects of the company. Will Peltz (Unfriended) is disconcerting in all the right ways. However, there’s nothing about them that’s particularly interesting. They never feel like anything other than a means to move the story forward.
There’s a really interesting concept within Somnium. The way it looks at loneliness and imposter syndrome are intriguing. Writer-director Rachael Cain crafts some compelling moments that look great in a trailer. As a feature film, it may not live up to expectations a teaser may inspire, but Somnium is nevertheless a solid drama. Chloë Levine really helps this dark surreal story come to life. While those hoping for an insane mind-bending horror show are likely to be somewhat disappointed, Somnium is satisfying as a straightforward unsettling nightmare. Whatever ways it could be improved, I wouldn’t be surprised to see in a future film by Rachael Cain.
For now, it’s a mixed bag. Still, when it comes to genre flicks, I’ll always recommend something fresh over seeing the same thing for the thousandth time. And Somnium is worth a watch.
Select theatrical dates followed by streaming to rent or own September 9th on Apple TV, Prime Video, Digital HD, and Fandango at Home.
