"He Sees You When You're Sleeping" (2024)

by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden

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 Charlie Steeds’ holiday horror, He Sees You When You’re Sleeping.

Synopsis

Chester (David Lenik) returns to his home after witnessing his parents' murders 17 years ago by a killer dressed as Santa. A new Santa killer begins killing his relatives. Chester questions if the killer returned or if a more terrifying truth exists.

The Good

Joseph: I’ve watched and reviewed some of director Charlie Steeds’ horror films before, and features such as the Lovecraftian Freeze (2022) and An English Haunting (2020) show that the prolific independent auteur knows how to wring the most out of his lower budgets. The 1980s period set detail in He Sees You When You’re Sleeping is incredibly authentic and beautifully presented, especially considering budgetary limitations. Steed also excels in using practical effects over CGI, and although the results sometimes show the seams of working with a lower budget, I still appreciate the effort. Here, viewers are treated to solid-looking denouements including death by axe and ice skate. He Sees You When You’re Sleeping has the feel of a chamber play, with stylized performances from the ensemble cast and some supporting players. In this case, by stylized I mean played from a bit over-the-top to more on the camp side. Steeds regular David Lenik, who also wrote the screenplay — the previous Steeds films I have seen were written by the director himself — stars as Chester, witness to his parents’ murders at the hands of a maniac dressed as Santa, and he gives one of the more tempered performances, along with Peyton Michelle Edwards as Chester’s neighbor and old friend Eden.

Mike: He Sees You When You’re Sleeping is not the expected ‘Santa slasher’ that it appears to be at first glance, and that’s okay. Charlie Steeds has put together a quirky little bit of Christmas fear that takes a very predictable plot and throws enough twists into the mix to keep viewers guessing as to exactly how things are going to wind up playing out all the way up to the end.

The violence is relatively low on blood and gore and while there’s not a ton of variety in the kills, they’re all handed down using some type of Christmas or winter themed device. Thankfully the kills use practical effects and are well done which belays the budget and looks far better than cheaper CGI would have resulted in.

The Bad

Joseph: I mentioned “more on the camp side” performances above, and those turns are likely to sour on viewers who aren't buying into the vibe. Caroline Williams certainly qualifies to fall into the camp category as Chester’s Aunt Marion, and Cedric Gegel comes off as practically a mustache-twirling vaudevillian bad guy in his assaying of Marion’s son Burke. Lenik’s screenplay features some dialogue that might feel more at home in a comedy of manners. It’s somewhat obvious from when viewers first meet Chester’s relatives in the 1980s that foul deeds aplenty are afoot, and savvy viewers might have ideas where things are headed well before they get there.

Mike: He Sees You When You’re Sleeping is not the expected ‘Santa slasher’ that it appears to be at first glance, and that’s a bit of a shame. Following a solid opening that sees young Chester’s parents killed, things take a nosedive with too many over-the-top performances that take the proceedings off the rails. For every good practical effect there’s a “Muah-ha-ha!” delivery by Cedric Gegel who plays Chester’s cousin, Burke or a ham-fisted turn by any one of the other actors. Even seasoned vet Caroline Williams takes the bait and delivers an exaggerated performance.

The Verdict

Joseph: If you like a bit of family intrigue with your holiday horror, He Sees You When You’re Sleeping is well worth a yuletide watch. Steeds and company set out to amuse with a whodunit plot and criminal planning that comes with the requisite backstabbing rather than going for a slaying-Santa shocker with a high body count. We have enough of the latter already with varying quality, so a tip of the elf’s hat to all involved here for trying something different with the subgenre.

Mike: Charlie Steeds delivers a bit of a tonally disparate holiday-fueled slasher that mixes a gaslighting plot that is engaging with performances that exhibit an exorbitant amount of ham. If you can get past this, you should find a decent enough whodunnit of a horror film.