Sleepless (NonHoSonno), 2001, Dario Argento
The story
A killer has resurfaced in present day Turin after being thought dead since 1983. The killer slays his victims according to a children’s nursery rhyme - apparently penned by the directors daughter Asia Argento.
After establishing a killing in 1983, we follow a prostiture who after refusing to do some nameless act is paid well but ends up stumbling over a table, knocking it over. She accidentaly recovers a blue file as she scrambles to get her things, while the trick is back in bed telling everyone within earshot that he’s killed lots of people.
On the train ride home she discovers the file, flips through it and realizes this is the journal of a serial killer. She gets a call on her cell from the killer and a chase ensues - kicking off a new series of murders in tune to the nursery rhyme from the killings in 1983.
This is, at least according to me, Argento’s last great movie. It has Goblin on the soundtrack (and the soundtrack is great) which enhances the feeling that everything is right with the world.
I first caught this at the Stockholm Film Festival when it came out in the early 2000s but has since owned it on DVD and Blu-Ray and now I just rewatched it on 4K UltraHD Blu-Ray courtesy of Vinegar Syndrome. I also have the very enjoyable soundtrack on CD.
If you’ve seen the gist of Argento’s movies you’ll know what to expect: grisly murders, virtuoso camera work and occasionally absurd dialogue.
Sleepless brings this in spades, the murders look like a greatest hits compilation from his earlier work and there’s a camera crawl on a carpet that’s a typical calling card.
The 4k transfer looks great and has Dolby Vision, making the colors pop decidedly more than with any other home release. Home releases have been kind to the movie, both the DVD and Blu-Ray loked great on their respective format, and this release is the absolute pinnacle and the one to get.