Hypnotique

Close Your Eyes (aka Doctor Sleep) has all the makings of a horror sleeper. I hadn't heard anything about it, and thought the DVD box looked interesting, so I picked it up. I'm used to renting bad movies that have great packaging, so I didn't hold out any great hopes for this one.

Surprisingly, this movie has some taut moments and manages to sustain a fairly creepy vibe throughout. There are some logic gaps in the story, and most of them have to do with police procedure, but even with those problems the movie ends up being very watchable. I was left a little unfulfilled by the ending, but overall it's a better than average thriller. Should have been a sleeper hit.

A hypnotherapy's (Goran Visnjic) is been asked by a Scotland Yard Detective (Shirley Henderson) to help her solve a troubling case involving a Serial Killer and a little girl (Sophie Stuckey), who's been traumatized since she was captive by the Serial Killer.

Directed by Nick Willing made a strong, unique thriller mixing elements with the occult, a whodunit and a horror film. Visnjic is excellent in the film. The movie also stars:Miranda Otto from "The Lord of the Rings" series. Close your Eyes is a instant cult film with one of a kind premise. Based on a Novel by Madison Smartt Bell, which her novel is titled"Doctor Sleep". Which Bell also appears in a cameo in the opening scene. This film is also known as "Doctor Sleep" and "Hypnotic" outside the U.S. Never receive theatrically in the U.S. Super 35. (****/*****).

In London, Michael Strother (Goran Vismjic) is a specialist in treatment for quitting smoking through hypnosis. His patient, the detective Janet Losey (Shirley Henderson), decides to use Michael's skills with the little girl Heather, who was kidnapped by a sick serial killer and escaped, but was speechless in shock. Michael gets involved with the investigation of Janet, threatening the safety of his own family. Along the story, weird mysteries are disclosed, having a hook in its open end for a possible sequel.

"Doctor Sleep" is an unknown great thriller. I saw this DVD on sale, and I decided to buy it just because it was very cheap. The introduction of the story is so good that I have decided to pay attention on the plot. What a surprise: it is indeed a spooky story, full of mystery, which makes the viewer tense, guessing whether it is a thriller or a horror movie. The direction is precise, using special effects only to create an atmosphere and cast has a good performance. This little gem deserves to be discovered by fans of thrillers full of suspense. Unfortunately, the DVD does not present any extra. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): 'Hipnose' ('Hypnosis')

Note: On 04 October 2021, I saw this film again.

Gorin Visnic pulled this movie off well. I was unsure of his acting outside of ER. The movie has a cool plot, and there a few leaps we must make with character actions and general believability, but how many supernatural movies don't require such. I'm not saying call the Academy, but as mentioned this is a 'sleeper' movie that will entertain you if you enjoy the supernatural thriller genre. I was glad I rented it, and I'm a bit picky in general. It isn't the fastest paced film as it develops slowly, but you'll probably like it if you like Gorin. The female lead is credible as well, as is Gorin's wife in the film. The Supernatural element of the movie was a new one to me, which is further reason I'm taking the time to write this, as I thank those who have done such for me, as it drives a fair amount of my 'tweener' rentals. Ciao!

Written and directed by Nick Willing, "Close Your Eyes" (aka "Doctor Sleep") is a taut, highly effective British thriller that supplements its crime drama scenario with generous helpings of the supernatural and paranormal.

Michael Strother is a hypnotherapist who has returned to England with his pregnant wife and young daughter after seven years living in the States. Strother is asked by one of his patients, a policewoman named Janet Losey, to bring his professional expertise to bear on one of her most baffling cases, that of a little girl who's managed to escape the clutches of a serial killer but who has been rendered mute by the experience. Strother's involvement leads to complications not only with the highly skeptical police force who are less than thrilled at the prospect of having a hynotherapist working on the case, but with his wife as well who fears that any untoward publicity might reflect badly on her husband's career. Of even more concern is the fact that Strother's involvement might also be making him and his own family a target of the killer.

It would hardly be cricket to reveal much more of the plot here, so I'll just say that "Close Your Eyes" boasts a better-than-average storyline, intriguing characters, an effective back story involving Strother's past in America, and enough genuine suspense to help us ride up and over some of the inconsistencies and absurdities inherent in the material. And if the resolution comes out as a bit flatfooted - well, that doesn't wind up being too much of a handicap since weak endings seem to be just about par for the course when it comes to these types of films anyway.

The prime selling point of "Close Your Eyes" is that it makes us care about the characters, particularly Strother, who elicits our interest and sympathy from the start. Goran Visnjic and Shirley Henderson make an engaging crime-fighting team with just the right amount of unrequited sexual chemistry bubbling under the surface to add to the tension.

As a director, Willing frequently interrupts the narrative with free-floating flashes of dreams, memories and hypnotic suggestions, reflective of what is occurring in the minds of the characters. The effect is sometimes confusing but almost always effective in ratcheting up the level of mystery and feeling of dislocation necessary for the story. The film is a bit gruesome and gory at times, but the prime focus almost always remains on the character's interactions and the unraveling of the plot. This is a solid, well-crafted thriller.