Somnium

Dream Girl

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Somnium, which recently premiered on Shudder, is about Gemma (Chloe Levine), a small town girl with big dreams. She moves from her folksy Georgia hometown to the starry lights of Los Angeles, hoping to fulfill her goal of becoming an actress. She’s, young, naive, and broke, with nothing but her aspirations to keep her going.

There have been countless movies with plots like this, although it’s relatively rare in horror. Elements of the film reminded me of Starry Eyes, which is also about an aspiring actress struggling to make it in Hollywood. That film is much bleaker and more graphic than Somnium, although this one features its share of creepiness and terror.

Starry Eyes is a cautionary tale about selling your soul to achieve your dreams, while Somnium is about sacrifice, fear, and finding your true identity.

Gemma is behind on the rent and desperate for a job. She eagerly accepts an offer by a company called Somnium, which advertises that they literally make their clients’ dreams come true. The company uses cutting edge technology to manipulate their clients’ minds.

They can convince people that their goals are certain to be reached, or even that they have already achieved them. They are even capable of making people fall in love with a specific person. Gemma is trained by the jaded and cynical Noah (Will Peltz), who sees no ethical issues with the technology at his disposal.

As you might imagine, this type of technology is incredibly dangerous, especially in the wrong hands. Gemma starts as a wide-eyed enthusiastic new employee, but gradually becomes aware of sinister forces operating inside the company.

A strange, terrifying humanoid creature appears to her on several occasions. What is it, and what does it want with her? The other Somnium employees claim that they can’t see it and have no idea what she’s talking about.

Much of the movie is a journey through Gemma’s intrusive thoughts, especially painful memories of a breakup with her ex-boyfriend, who she left behind when she decided to pursue her dreams.

The story and format are somewhat similar to the Charlie Kaufman drama Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which is also about a company that manipulates memories. Most of that film is set inside the mind of a heartbroken man played by Jim Carrey.

First-time director Racheal Cain’s neon cinematography reminded me of I Saw The TV Glow. It adds an eerie atmosphere to the story. I hesitate to compare this film to the David Lynch magnum opus Mulholland Drive, but the aesthetic and mood are similar.

Cain’s film doesn’t offer much that’s wholly original. The story, protagonist, and villains are familiar archetypes. But it’s executed well, especially considering this is an indie film that was apparently funded by a Kickstarter campaign.

Chloe Levine, who also starred in The Sacrifice Game and The Ranger, delivers yet another strong performance. She is an underrated horror actress with impressive range.

Levine plays an innocent teacher in The Sacrifice Game and a violent punk in The Ranger. Gemma is closer to the teacher than the punk, although she has some characteristics of each. There aren’t many actresses who can be cute and endearing but also believably menacing.

It’s easy to relate to Gemma and the film’s themes If you’re an actor, writer, or an artist of any kind. This movie probably won’t work as well for people who aren’t in the artistic sphere, but for someone like me, I really connected with it on an emotional level.