User reviews

I listened to the Edge of Sleep audiodrama as it came out and really enjoyed it, everything from the premise to the audio design just really came together and served as great weekly entertainment. Seeing that it got a TV release I instantly went to watch it. I liked it and walked away happy that I saw it, but there are 2 major issues with it...

To be clear: I am a Markiplier fan so don't downvote this I have the best intentions. I went to one of his tours, wore a Markiplier themed backpack in High School, and watched all of his content when I was younger. His performance in the audiodrama was also great, the deep quality of his voice was able to sell a miserable and exhausted character. And I love the campiness he reaches with his acting in Youtube originals, he sells cocky characters well.

However as good as his delivery was in the podcast it did not translate well to visual acting. Everyone else was fantastic, I particularly enjoyed Matteo, Linda, and the Dream Doctor as characters, but next to them Mark fell short. It looked like he was reciting lines instead of embodying Dave and it never really felt like I was watching a serious scene with him in the shot since he just wasn't selling the misery well. The only time I felt like he did a good job was during a hallucination where he sees a copy of himself that delivered a campy and lighthearted line. That one sentence was the only thing that worked for him and that's unfortunate considering he's trying to be serious. Hopefully, his Iron Lung performance is better and this served as a good teaching lesson.

The second huge issue was the camera work. Something felt unpolished and flat about the shots, I don't go to film school so I don't know how to describe it, but something about it just wasn't TV quality. I liked the use of colours and imagery, but the field of depth was just strange, something wrong with the lenses I think. Was consistent throughout and made the film feel amateurish.

As a whole though I enjoyed what I saw. The overuse of the shape of a triangle, overemphasis of 'The Elephant', and hallucination scenes going on for a bit too long also detracted but weren't as big of an issue. Again most of the acting was great, I was really invested in how they'd tackle the premise compared to how they did in the podcast, and I definitely DO want to see more. I WANT there to be more and I WANT to see a better performance from the lead. Glad it exists. Just wish those two major issues as stated previously were fixed cause as it currently stands I can't really recommend this to someone who isn't a fan of Markiplier.

7/10.

I wasn't completely sure what to expect going into this, but i'm so glad i watched to the end! (summary of my review at the end)

what didn't work for me: the first episode especially was a little rough to get through. The character introductions and dialougue had me cringing at points as a writer myself. Some of the graphics/gore at points felt unrealistic, as well as some of the acting. I learned after my first watch that the show was low budget, so i can obviously give some grace for that sake, though i feel it is unfair for fans to blindly give 10/10 ratings just because mark was apart of it. There were a few questions i had left unanswered, (i'm unsure if there will be a season 2) and some points of the plot and pacing were a little confusing. I was expecting the edge of sleep to be a movie, so i was surprised to see it as a show, though i think it would've done just as well as a movie. It still doesn't make complete sense to me why it was chosen to have six 20 minutes episodes rather than a continuous film, especially when all of the episodes were released at once and not aired weekly like a show.

What DID work for me: my GOODNESS, the way the really intense scenes were set up, especially towards the end! I'd love to go in depth about my feelings about how much i connected with certain scenes, but i'd like to keep my review spoiler free. Still, i CAN say that i had my jaw drop at three or four specific parts lol. The cinematography, the soundtrack and ambience, and some of the visuals were all breathtaking for an indie production. As mentioned in the title of my review, i've been watching mark's content online for about 8 years now, but i keep my opinions unbiased when i say i was pleasantly surprised by his acting in quite a few of his scenes! I could really engage with the emotions he was portraying, and it really felt like i was watching dave rather than mark! Besides mark's acting, i was greatly impressed with eve's as well. Everyone had very good chemistry on screen. And again, i learned after the fact that the show was low budget, but at some points i legitimately wouldn't have known the difference! :o

summary: all in all, even if you're not a markiplier fan, i'd give this one a go. It's not perfect, and i could really see it falling short for you if the thriller/apocalypse genre is your bread and butter, but i can say that i'd personally watch it again! The edge of sleep has it's flaws and strong points, with some aspects working really well and some not so much at different points throughout the series. Overall i feel that everyone who worked on the edge of sleep, both the show and the podcast should be very proud of what they've created, and for being low budget no less!

This is a very intriguing story, there is clearly a lot of potential here, and I would definitely recommend watching it, however, the length and number of episodes I believe caused some of the biggest issues with this show.

It feels like the show is rushing to get to its ending.

The character writing leaves a lot to be desired, even if certain aspects of some of the characters are interesting. The characters don't feel very fleshed out, and that's all due to the show's main focus being moving the plot forward asap, instead of slowly and properly introducing us to the world and its characters.

Still, this is an intriguing watch, and for the concepts and ideas showcased, I would definitely recommend it if you've got some time to spare.

I don't know why no one has really advertised this show when its so well made and well acted. Mark, Lio, Eve, and Franz all play very likable and very compelling characters that I was rooting for to make it out. While most apocalyptic shows rely on in-fighting and territory this one has an extra layer of eerieness of uncertainty of what causing this and blind faith on one person. The cliff hanger at the end of the sixth episode has me wanting to know when I can see the rest. That being said, I do look forward to Mark's other project in the works, Iron Lung.

As long as you don't mind a bit of gore (blood, a brain is shown, mutilation with a knife) Edge of Sleep is an interesting watch.

I haven't watched any Markiplier videos in years, and knew nothing about this before its sudden release when it was everywhere. I decided to give it a whirl, and it's worth a watch I'd say.

For the positives, I think at a high level it's an intriguing premise. What would you do if 99% of the population died in their sleep, and you had to try and figure out what to do without being able to sleep yourself? There's some creepy segments and imagery, and honestly Mark's not a terrible actor. He's not going to be winning an Emmy or anything but I thought he did a decent enough job for someone who got famous by playing games and acting like a goofball on YouTube. It's also very quick, 6 twenty minute episodes, and they move along pretty briskly. It could easily be knocked out in an evening.

For the cons, the main one is probably that it's a little art-housy. Everything that happens does get some kind of explanation, but I could understand people being frustrated at how light some of the explanations are. There's also some Hollywood Logic on display, of people being able to do things or act in a certain way that real people wouldn't be able to do. The general script and acting also aren't amazing, although both were serviceable enough. Also, the last halfish of the final episode is basically just a big exposition dump, which is always annoying.

Really though, I think it's a small enough investment that it's worth giving a shot. It's basically the length of a movie, and there's enough creepy imagery to make it worth a watch.

I listed to the podcast when it originally came out and LOVED every second of it. I made an IMBD account just to rate it.

I was anticipating the TV show ever since it was announced and it's safe to say that it didn't disappoint.

The thrilling saga of trying to stay awake to figure out whats going on is very apocalyptic and very suspenseful. The actors/actresses did a phenomenal job portraying their respective characters. My only criticism is that I wish there would have been more to each episode. They are only 20 minutes long but they are packed full with as much plot as possible. There's a few details that I think are missing (it's been a while since I listened to the podcast...) but overall I am excited to watch the series again and see details I may have overlooked.

Mark did a great job and I'm super happy with his role in the show. I'm wishing him the best and hoping his role of Dave can be renewed for a potential second season. The other actors/actresses have piqued my interest and I'll be looking out for their other movies and shows as well!!

This show is worth the watch. It has great storytelling and great characters. You won't be able to wait for season two.

It follows Dave, a character who suffers from nightmares. Dave's friend Matteo, is retired Air Force. Both are security guards. Linda is a RN, working night shifts at a hospital. Dave's ex-girlfriend, Katie is recovering addictions.

Each episode is about 20 minutes and there is only 6 episodes in the first season. It's easy to sit and watch in one sitting, and I recommend you do.

Without spoiling it, the story has many interesting plots, and there is a lot to theorize about. The last episode is great and will hopefully continue seamlessly into season two.

I really like Mark, so I really wanted to like this. The show isn't bad but it's okay. Each character doesn't play their role correctly in my opinion. I feel as though I can see how each character should've been played compared to how they were. So the acting is a bit rough. But overall the show is okay. It's a bit predictable. The way it's edited is a bit bleak. I feel like i could've been sucked into this world a bit more than I was. By no means is this show bad though. I enjoyed watching every episode and I finished it in one sitting. It made me a little scared to take a nap. You should definitely watch it however, just know the acting is a little mediocre, and the plot is a little predictable.

I'm not a super fan of Markiplier so I feel I can give a more honest review.

I gave Edge Of Sleep a watch because I like to see what Markiplier is up to creatively. I never listened to the podcast for this story so I was going in with no spoilers or expectations. Here is my feedback:

Acting: you can definitely tell who has had acting classes and is more equipped and who isn't. I believe both women (Lio and Eve) did better than their male co stars. Truthfully, Markiplier's acting fell flat in my opinion but I don't fault him. I personally, couldn't do better than what he did. Acting is hard. I do believe because he has a passion for this, that he could get better. The flow between actors dialogue wasn't completely there and felt choppy at some points. It wasn't a deal breaker so I continued watching.

Music: I actually enjoyed the opening credits and the music selection. It gave the appropriate vibe it was going for.

Visuals/shots: I was impressed. It was creepy, eerie, and engaging. It wasn't the best thing I've seen. If anything it was like if a group of young adults got together to recreate some aspects of American Horror Story as a passion project.

Special effects: the horror elements were done well in my opinion. In fact it gave some Evil Dead vibes with claymation and I really enjoyed that! Obviously much better than claymation but hopefully you get my point. It was good and didn't feel like cheesy CGI.

Storyline: it felt rushed and not all characters had chemistry with one another. Although the actor Eve that played Linda the nurse was better than the male Costars, her character was just all over the place. She just didn't seem like a likely character in real life. And yes, I know all of it was weird - but her weirdness didn't vibe with the rest of it. A nurse who insults people and some how performs surgeries? I get she came from a surgical background for some agency and was blacklisted because she blew the whistle...but still - very reaching. And for her to immediately go we need to tell people?? I mean it takes at least four or five episodes in for someone to come to a conclusion of what it is and to warn people (or at least have the suspense of it). It felt rushed.

At some point I stopped actively watching and had it on as background noise. I would come back to it every now and again but it wasn't keeping my attention.

Therefore, I give it a 5/10, it was okay and still worth watching especially if you want to support people who are genuinely making an effort to bring creative material to their fanbase and audience.

They should keep going and I would watch more seasons to see how they continue to improve and grow.

I have listened to the podcast numerous times and I am thrilled with how close to the TV adaptation is. The way this show was filmed and with the visual effects and sounds really drive home how close to insanity the characters are and if they will be able to pull through or not.

The music for this show is also spot on, love the opening theme, perfect choice.

I will be watching this on repeat for the rest of October, it was released in the perfect month to really get you on edge for spooky month.

The actors have really great synergy and there are a lot of tense emotions and situations that are portrayed beautifully.

It seems like we have some shenanigans here. I have watched hundreds if not thousands of shows (series and movies) in my lifetime, and there's no perspective from which I can rate this any higher than I have, and I think I'm being generous. Either the fans of the podcast have indiscriminately rated '10 stars' to be supportive, or the producers utilized some service to generate positive reviews.

Here's my challenge to you: Go watch the first episode. Oh, and oops, yeah, don't feel too disappointed when it ends after 20 minutes or so, because that's the format we're dealing with here. Then go ahead and think about how many stars you would give. If it falls below your usual baseline, just stop watching, because it doesn't get any better.

The story is so incredibly formulaic and filled to the brim with tropes (including racial stereotypes) that it was hard to get invested - which is a shame because I ADORE some of the visuals, especially the trippy recurring medication adverts and the monster design. It's a grab bag of common horror + dream motifs but it has enough of its own flair sprinkled in to be good.

I've never listened to the podcast nor am I an actual Markiplier fan (the number of solo Markiplier videos I've seen as an adult is in the single digits), but his acting in this was surprisingly good. Like, genuinely, by non-Youtuber standards. I look forward to seeing anything else he ends up in. The acting otherwise was pretty mid and on-par for a low budget series (some of Katy's attempts at being serious made me giggle), but they all tried their best with the bad script they got. A number of interactions felt straight out of a fanfiction from a newbie writer or examples on a TV Tropes page.

It has the bones of a good show, it hits the "internet horror" itch, and I love things with this "sleep and you die" premise. And I want to support the project because the people behind it deserve a win. But the execution is just... Not very good. And as it currently stands (9+/10 with glowing reviews), it seems like this is being falsely hyped because of love for Markiplier or its source material, not because the end result itself is that good.

Also the person I watched it with, who IS a Markiplier fan, fell asleep during episode 2. Which isn't relevant to my own opinion but did make me laugh.

The show does do very well in regards to the podcast which I wasn't expecting. Being a huge fan of the podcast, I wasn't too sure how I would feel about this but it genuinely did good! The visuals and atmosphere give the show the creepy and eerie feeling that the podcast delivered. It also mastered the ability of wanting to keep watching it to see what is going to happen next. My biggest issue was the elements that were left out meaning the small little details in the podcast that gave it that extra edge. Also only having 6 episodes that were 20 minutes long had made it out to be more so a standard movie length then a fully drawn out tv show. Yet overall I would recommend checking this out! The cast and crew clearly worked their best to do the podcast justice.

I can't think of a show like this one, it's paving its own way in a really interesting form. An amazing show with clearly a lot of love thrown into it, Edge of Sleep deserves praise for a well written plot, incredible directing, and an engaging cast. It captures this idea of dreams on film in a way I don't think I've seen before. Their disorganized shots of these dreams captures the surrealism and disorientation of night terrors, and the cast also acts very well as their exhaustion progresses. The characters start out exhausted and emotional, but as their exhaustion grows you can see their emotions and reactions fade in a way that's clearly both intentional, and incredible acting wise.

Going into this I had high expectations based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews. Markiplier has done some great stuff and, having not listened to the podcast, I was going in blind. Overall I wouldn't say I was overly impressed or disappointed. It was pretty good, but nothing more. The acting wasn't anything special. The effects were solid. Story was very interesting but a bit confusing, they took the premise and went a very cerebral, Lovecraftian direction that I wasn't expecting. Things make a lot more sense after the finale but there are still a lot of questions. Because it's so short, even if you don't end up liking it, you pretty much only lose 2 hours. It probably would have done better waiting till a little later to introduce the stranger elements because they seemed pretty out of place at the start.

Overall, I recommend it. It's an easy commitment that you can binge quickly and it makes you think.

For a series that I assume was produced on a shoestring budget and headlined by a youtuber, TEOS does an incredible job of telling a really compelling story, albeit a bit different from the original podcast. In the first few episodes, it is definitely a bit of a harder watch and harder to get hooked into-- the acting and the script feel a bit awkward and forced, but nearing the last half of the series you really begin to feel the weight of their situation as they struggle to stay awake.

Now obviously its not perfect-- from a filmmakers standpoint, there are some spots that I felt like could have been done better, cuts and bits of dialogue and whatnot, but like i said before: once the crew and cast get their sea legs out under them, its such a interesting watch. Absolutely would watch again and cant wait until the new season comes out in 5 years lol.

Qcode is an odd company that doesn't know how to organize their release dates, but at least they didn't mess up The Edge Of Sleep. Not only does the main star portray Dave excellently, he is a phemonimal actor. Despite the countless delays and weird choices, it finally released, and everything exceeded my expectations greatly. A wonderful TV adaptation for a chilling podcast story, this show takes the audio experience one step further by bringing in visuals of past experiences. This project has been worked on and refined, perfect for what The Edge of Sleep deserves in an adaptation. The episodes are short, at only 6 and about 20 minutes each, but every second is full of beautifully made content.

This was worth the wait off the visuals alone -- looks like it was shot on film (Kodak Vision, it looks like), and it absolutely works. The whole thing is beautiful to look at, rich colours, great lighting, just reeking of intentional visual aspects that so many modern films and shows don't bother with. However, a six episode series with 20 minute episodes isn't it. I get they had budget restraints, but I really wish they tacked on at least 10 minutes onto each episode. The time feels so strange, a few hours will pass in the time it feels like only 20 minutes should've. In the first episode, Dave and Matteo get off work early (I believe they established it was 3am), drove to a party, stayed there for no more than 5 minutes, drove some people to the hospital, go inside the hospital, get some nurses' attention, and walk outside to bright daylight. This isn't the only example of this strange time dilation, but it's one of the most obvious. And, of course, spending 2 hours with all of our characters really stops us from connecting with them, especially since it's paced like a show. We don't get to really meet our characters because it acts like it's an 8-episode, 50 minute per episode miniseries as opposed to a 2 hour movie (which it could've been condensed down to anyway).

Anyways, I hope it helps open doors like how Mark hopes it to.

Big fail on story though. You have to wonder if the writers have any real world experience. Only 3 people to staff a hospital? Police, emergency services, 911? All of those people would be awake, and answering phones. The only way you wouldn't get through is the system being overwhelmed. The one character "fixes" his car with no tools (possibly water pump) in 10 min. He just wiggles some stuff with his hands. It's utterly nonsensical, and makes it hard to take any of the story seriously. I managed 3 episodes, trying to give it a chance, before I had to give up. I yearn for the days of good writers, but it seems most think just imagination can carry them through. No one bothers to research.

Chock-full of dream-like sequences, filling me with tension at every turn. The visuals are amazing and Mark Fischbach's acting is superb as usual. It's very easy to binge all at once, and the end of each episode leaves me hungering for more!

The Edge of Sleep is fantastic, I recommend it completely if you want to watch something with an excellent plot and intriguing characters, with a hint to a larger backstory and secrets hiding in the shadows.

It's a very tense tv show that kept me on the edge of my seat with a very good soundtrack that I can't wait to listen to. It stayed relatively true to the podcast it was adapted from.

The Edge of Sleep is chilling and beautiful!

I'll start off by saying (as many others have) that I am huge fan of Markiplier. This show is intriguing, it's definitely indie/ b film-esque, but it's intriguing.

I didn't know the lore behind TEOS, but I found myself interested in the story.

I think the actors did a fantastic job with what they had. Mark is actually pretty damn good at acting. I can appreciate all of the hard work that was put into this, and he deserves to have his work put out there. I'm excited for Iron Lung to make its debut. Let's see how much further he can take his creativity.

P. S The elephant monster was f*#^*g strange.

When I first heard that The Edge of Sleep was getting a full TV series produced, I felt a mix of excitement and anxiety. After all, it's an extremely enticing psychological horror/thriller story that dives into spiritual unknowns and the human psyche. However, my anxiety came from my worry that they wouldn't be able to capture the same atmosphere and tension that the podcast version did so well.

I am more than happy to say that my worries were completely, and utterly unwarranted. They've managed to take the already loved story and, not only recreate it, but also expand on it in ways I didn't expect.

The cinematography, acting, editing, sound track, and visual effects blew me away with each passing episode.

I strongly recommend to give it a watch, and I can't wait to see more of what's to come.