In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s the sci-fi thriller Somnium by Racheal Cain.
Synopsis
With hopes of making it big in Los Angeles, small-towner Gemma (Chloë Levine) takes the overnight shift at Somnium, a mysterious sleep clinic where dreams are made real, but soon finds herself trapped in its web of dark secrets.
Joseph: I first saw Chloë Levine when The Ranger was on its film festival run in 2018, and I was highly impressed with her performance. She has continued a successful run in genre films since then, and her fine portrayal of Gemma here is reason enough to recommend giving Somnium a watch. She nails everything asked of her, and writer/director Cain indeed asks a lot, given Gemma’s aspirations as an actor, her time at the titular clinic, and the backstory involving her romance. Cain presents some intriguing ideas and shows a flair for helming and writing an interesting feature thriller.
Mike: Movies that tease the viewer with a “is it real or is it a dream” conceit can be tough to pull off. You either run the risk of making one aspect or the other too obvious or you make it so hazy that neither reality seems sincere when (or if) one is made clear over the other. Cain manages to tread the line well with Somnium, taking time to lay out clues that lead you in certain directions before making that belief dubious at best. That this balancing act is kept until the end of the film is a nice accomplishment and helps Somnium stand apart from similar movies.
The acting is convincing with Levine’s Gemma coming across as a believable earnest young woman who wants to make it in Hollywood as an actor, while struggling with a handful of obstacles. Will Peltz, who plays her co-worker Noah, does a great job at walking a thin line between being introverted and odd and just plain creepy.
There’s some nifty effects during some dreams and a very creepy looking humanoid creature (that may or may not be real) that help lift the film over the edge of being better than average.
Joseph: Though Somnium should appeal greatly to fans of dream-based and, to some degree, time-travel genre outings, viewers less enamored with this type of story — and yes, that would include yours truly — may find it slowly paced, and sometimes illogical. Its big reveal is also rather predictable for viewers with knowledge of those subgenres’ trappings, and the character Noah’s personality traits telegraph a certain path, as well — though this is no knock on Peltz’s solid performance.
Mike: Somnium moves at a snail’s pace and very runs the risk of putting viewers to sleep which would ironically be in line with the title. Little happens for long stretches and are interspersed with flashbacks that don’t really convey much until later in the film at which point the viewer will probably have already deduced the destination if not the direction it all flows in.
Joseph: Somnium rates, in my opinion, as a good but not great science fiction thriller that is certainly worth a watch. There are some thought-provoking ideas on tap, and the ambiguous elements work in the film’s favor. It’s worth repeating that Levine gives an excellent lead performance that alone is worth the price of admission.
Mike: Cain’s first feature film is a mixed bag of creepy dreams and Hollywood aspirations. With a slow burn that threatens to fizzle out before culminating in a trippy and ambiguous ending that doesn’t insult the viewer by hand-holding them to one conclusion or another. It will be interesting to see what she does next as it’s apparent she has a knack for telling a good story, even if it is a little rough around the edges. Also worth watching is Levine’s future projects as she certainly has appeal as an endearing actress.
Somnium
Directed By: Racheal Cain
Written By: Racheal Cain
Starring: Chloë Levine, Will Peltz, Peter Vack, Johnathon Schaech, Clarissa Thibeaux, Grace Van Dien
Run Time: 1h 32m
Rating: NR
Release Date: June 22, 2024
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