A young woman seeking fame and stardom winds up working for a company that promises to make her dreams a reality, no matter how nightmarish they may turn out to be.
I love the concept of dreams in film. Exploring the realm of subconsciousness beyond the veil of sleep is something that has always and will always interest me. However, it’s only when that concept is executed well that it really resonates. Somnium tries hard, but there’s just something about it that comes up short, and it actually hurts to say that. While the influences are all there, from Vanilla Sky and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, to Cronenberg and Lynch, it all comes together in a rather bland and uneventful culmination, despite having all the makings of a wonderful film. I wanted very badly to like Somnium, and I’m not saying it’s a bad movie by any stretch. It’s a good film, but it’s the fact that it could be great that makes it so disappointing.
Starting with a fantastic concept and obviously not having the best idea of where to go with it, Racheal Cain is definitely a visionary and a unique voice in the current landscape of film, I only wish she had executed the project better. Taking on both writing and directing, she certainly has a different, standout style, and it’s strikingly apparent throughout Somnium. However, the film would’ve benefited from a grander story and more interesting plot, and I would’ve rather the film either leaned harder into the horror elements or abandoned them altogether, rather than going half in on them. I also felt that there was room here for a much better message, as opposed to one we’ve all heard a million times; Hollywood will eat you alive.
The film also suffers a bit for the performance, especially from the lead. While Chloë Levine is relatable and believable in her role as the striving young starlet, there’s a hefty dose of charisma missing from her delivery that feels more like a supporting character than a star. That could be relevant to the way her character is written, though, as I do believe she’s a wonderful actress. Gillian White is a real standout, and I wish there would’ve been more of her. And Will Peltz is great in his role, as well, but there’s something missing from everyone in the cast and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
It looks gorgeous, though. Lance Kuhns’ cinematography is truly remarkable, with the color palette giving us a beautiful neon style that feels like it belongs to a blockbuster. I did take issue with the film’s score by Mike Forst and Peter Ricq, however, with certain moments suffering for having unending and droning music instead of silence when it was really needed. The constant presence of sound actually detracts from moments that would’ve benefited from a bit of discretion.
Overall, Somnium is a fantastic concept that could’ve been an impeccably unique and stylized film that comes up short in one too many areas, instead leaving it in a state of perpetual mediocrity that feels empty for all that it could’ve been.