Doctor Sleep

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.

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.

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.

Michael Strother (Goran Visnjic) is just trying to lay low and make a living in England. He relocated to London, due to a career-ending catastrophe in the US. Now, he uses his ability as a hypnotherapist to help people kick their addictions. One of his clients happens to be a cigarette-smoking cop named Janet Losey (Shirley Henderson), who hopes that he can help her on a case, after Strother proves to have some psychic insight into it.

Strother is introduced to a little girl who hasn't spoken a word since being abducted by a mysterious serial-killer. She is the only one of multiple victims to survive. While working with the girl, Strother is drawn into something far more bizarre than any normal crime. Both he and Losey, with help from an odd toy maker named Elliot Spruggs (Paddy Considine), find themselves investigating an ancient occult conspiracy that just might be real.

CLOSE YOUR EYES is several things at once: It's a cracking crime thriller, a dark mystery, and a tale of supernatural horror. A grim atmosphere permeates the proceedings, soaking everything in gloom. The story itself is intriguing as well as terrifying, with ever more danger lying just around the next corner. We are never sure if anyone will live to see the end! The occult angle is used in a fresh, novel way, especially the 16th century tie-in, the use of church buildings, and Fiona Shaw's ultra-creepy character (the whole "finger tapping" thing is unforgettable!). It's a shame that this movie has been so overlooked. It's time for its rediscovery...

"Close Your Eyes" is an unusual thriller. The story and characters are not present in your typical entries into this or any genre. And although on that level I recommend the film, it falls way short of greatness due to its pedestrian direction.

A serial killer has been kidnapping and killing young girls around London. One girl named Heather has survived, but she isn't talking. After hypnotherapist Michael Strother cures Detective Janet Losey (Shirley Henderson) of her smoking addiction, he reveals something that she saw under hypnosis: an image of Heather floating underwater. She thinks that Strother can help her with her case, but he refuses. Eventually he relents, and gets pulled into a disturbing mystery involving some creepy science and mysticism.

Thrillers, especially those of this ilk, demand a strong sense of atmosphere. A story can be chilling in its own right, but it's up to the director to put us at an sense of unease so we can get sucked into the story. But although director Nick Willing can boast a few inventive visuals, he can't establish a sense of atmosphere where this unease can build. Films like "The Descent" built up the tension long before the monsters ever showed up, which made the second half downright terrifying; Willing isn't able to accomplish this; in fact, he doesn't seem to be able to try. Worse, he cannot establish a narrative flow. The film is poorly paced, and as a result it seems to start and stop at random moments.

This is especially unfortunate because the film boasts some impressive performances. Goran Visnjic uses his soothing voice effectively (even I was almost hypnotized by his voice), and the celebrated Croatian actor makes for a sympathetic protagonist. Shirley Henderson is rather stiff as the policewoman who believes that he can help (actually, she's the only one who believes this). Miranda Otto is underused as Michael's long-suffering American wife. However, Fiona Shaw and John Rogan are creepy in small but important parts.

This is an okay choice for those who are tired of the usual schtick from "thrillers," but it could have been a lot better.