A psychological thriller about a woman who loses her memories every time she falls asleep and must piece together the truth about her life each day, Before I Go to Sleep is an intriguing and suspenseful film that uses its unusual premise to keep you guessing until the end.
When I watched the movie 50 First Dates, I remember wondering whether her type of amnesia existed in real life. It seems that other than the rarest of the rare cases (because you never say never), this is something created for the movie. But the premise is similar to Anterograde Amnesia (in which a person can’t form new long-term memories), and it would make life very complicated for both the person and those who love them. Someone wakes up every morning with no new memories after a specific point in their life and has to rebuild every single day.
Before I Go To Sleep is about Christine, a woman who wakes up each morning to find she has no memory of where she is or how she got there. Moving away from the man sleeping in her bed, she goes into the next room to discover a collage of dozens of photos of her with this man. When she returns to the room, he explains that she has been in an accident that doesn’t allow her to create and retain new memories. He is her husband, he takes care of her, and then he leaves for work. She receives a phone call from a psychiatrist explaining that she has been trying to figure out her own story, and that there is a camera she has been recording on for herself. After watching her video, she isn’t sure what the truth is or who she can trust.
This is an entertaining thriller with lots of uncertainty because, from the get-go, you have an unreliable narrator. It’s not her fault, and she is on the hunt for the same answers you are, so it’s an enjoyable ride trying to uncover every small truth.
Nicole Kidman, Mark Strong, and Colin Firth all carry the film well, and it does primarily lay on the shoulders of these three. There are very few other actors, which is a gamble, but they pulled it off with winning results.
As with most mysteries, you try to figure out what is happening long before the protagonist might know, and of course, that’s what I did. It’s laid out in a puzzle-like format, with fragmented memories and an unsettling score. I was sure that I knew what was happening a few times, but it definitely kept me guessing, which is satisfying in itself.
Before I Go To Sleep is a well-paced, paranoia-driven thriller full of darker colors and a moody ambiance. I found that it escalated steadily, and although the entire premise may be one big plot hole and you have to suspend major disbelief, it is a gripping ride.
Runtime: 92 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Available: Free on Prime Video, PlutoTv, and YouTube, and may be available for free on other streaming platforms
When I watched the movie 50 First Dates, I remember wondering whether her type of amnesia existed in real life. It seems that other than the rarest of the rare cases (because you never say never), this is something created for the movie. But the premise is similar to Anterograde Amnesia (in which a person can’t form new long-term memories), and it would make life very complicated for both the person and those who love them. Someone wakes up every morning with no new memories after a specific point in their life and has to rebuild every single day.
