Hypersomnia

I hadn't heard about "Hipersomnia" before stumbling upon it here in 2020. I was initially lured in by the movie's cover, which was intriguing and interesting. And the movie was labeled as horror, so of course I took the time to sit down and watch it.

While writer and director Gabriel Grieco's movie "Hipersomnia" from 2016 isn't exactly what I would label as a horror movie, it was definitely an interesting enough movie. It starts out alright, but then becomes somewhat of a strange movie in the middle, right up until the reveal of what is actually going on, then the director Gabriel Grieco gives you that "ah, so that is what going on" experience. And that was definitely enjoyable. So a nice twist there, which makes the movie worthwhile watching.

The acting in the movie was good, and I do enjoy watching movies where I am not familiar with the cast, as that prevents me from associating them with previously portrayed characters. Yamila Saud definitely carried the movie quite well.

Now, "Hipersomnia" is not a movie that will fall equally well into everyone's taste, because there is some odd quality to the movie, for better or worse. I enjoyed it, but I believe that the movie will not be as entertaining to everyone in the audience.

I am rating this movie a six out of ten stars.

Hipersomnia is another attempt by Argentine cinema to offer something out of its comfort zone. There are a couple of mistakes, some inconsistency, and the pace can get frenetic. It is not unusual in this attempt by Argentine cinema to approach genre cinema. In this case it can be said that in terms of plot and concept I manage to make something original and refreshing. It becomes a strange mix between Suspiria and Hostel that at first doesn't seem to make much sense, then it reaches a point where the protagonist doesn't know that she is real and that she is not. All of this resolves into something that for some will have been easy to guess, but for others it is an unexpected surprise. Another strong point for this film is the theme of prostitution, which is an experience of pure horror for women, but is still a fairly common clandestine business in Argentina. The film explores one of those real horrors that are part of the harsh reality about Argentina and achieves it with scenes that become gruesome and crude. It is not that it is disturbing, but it does manage to offer an atmosphere of horror. Hypersomnia is ultimately a morbid spectacle that serves as a horror film and social criticism. My final rating for this movie is a 9/10.

If you google Hypersomnia you'll find out what it means. And the movie revolves around that theme ... something our main character suffers from. It's a weird illness/sickness and it's not the only thing you have to suspend your disbelief from. I read another review who wrote that it's completely detached from reality ... and that's true. It's also something you shouldn't hold against the movie, but something you should cherish.

If not, the movie will feel like torture to you ... no pun intended. I didn't read anything about the movie (except the google search for the title) and so I was kind of surprised of the way it handled things and where it went with the idea it has. It also tries to send a message, which amidst all the violence (and nudity) is a good thing (although some might say it is a bit exploitative) ... Overall decent effort

It seems Argentinian films are fast becoming my favourite choice for well made, imaginative, unpredictable dramas, and Hypersomnia for the most part fits that. Edgy and taut, it's heavy on atmosphere, with a sense of risk and menace saturating it, taunting its audience to figure out what's happening as it continually unfolds.

Deliberately blurring the age-old lines between actress and prostitute and reality and fantasy, Hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness) presents like an uncompromising stage play, and any outlining of the narrative here would probably spoil it, but given that this is set in Argentina its themes resonate more viscerally than the usual Hollywood fantasy horror, and is generally better made and thought out.

Unfortunately though, after a promising and intriguing story has developed, it then sadly relies upon and drops into the usual Hollywood tropes rather than exploring the layered themes that it has set up, and so suddenly looks hurried and wasteful at the end as it rushes to conclude.

Could have been, and should have been better than it was, but if this is your genre then there is still plenty to recommend it.

One of the Best Foreign films. This is the most Gruesome movies i have ever watched in my life. Very Terrifying because this could be happening to women everyday. Who knows.