Watch Me Sleep — Watch Me Sleep (DVD)
From 2023, Watch Me Sleep is a mix of often shouty/emotional drama and slow-burning horror. The British film regards a middle-aged/ ex alcoholic taxi driver whose mother dies. And he insists a camera is put in her coffin- to make sure she is truly dead, as he was treated badly/ possible ritual abused by her. Here from Wild Eye Releasing is a recent DVD release of the film.
Watch Me Sleep was filmed in Staffordshire, largely set in a cluttered/ rundown bungalow, though we do shift out onto nighttime roads and into the foreboding countryside. It was directed/written by John Williams. Between the early 2010’s and the present day, he has twelve director credits, nine of which are features. They include vampire-hunter-focused horror-comedy The Slayers (2025), searching-for-the-paranormal in the Scottish Highlands horror of There's Something in the Shadows (2021), and, most recently, horror/comedy/sci-fi crossbreed The Beast of Riverside Hollow (2026).
The film focuses on Sean(Darren McAree)- a troubled & gaunt ex-alcoholic taxi driver. His mother has recently passed- we see him visiting the body in the funeral home, and it’s clear there was no love lost between the two. But as things unfold, it becomes clear that it goes beyond just normal parental dislike. She seemingly abused him as a child- often with a knife- which may or may not be ritual connected.
Sean meets up with a man who offers a service of putting a small nightvision camera inside coffins- these normally run for four weeks, but Sean insists he needs longer, twelve months.
As the film unfolds, Sean tries to keep on track- going to AA meetings, hanging out with his friends, and focusing on work. Though he has a rather unhealthy habit of logging onto the web to check in on his mother in the coffin. He starts thinking she may be moving, then one night he looks to see a worm and maggot churning skull- so is he losing his mind?, It’s something supernatural, or is it something else?.
Watch Me Sleep is a slow-burning affair, which initially has moments of explosive/ shouty drama. Then later horror elements start to move in, at first subtle, then later with shocks of horror/violence. I guess the resolution is maybe a tad cliched/ predictable, but the very last moment is nicely creepy.
McAree is excellent as the on-the-edge taxi driver Sean, offering up some great moments of emotional/ intense acting. The rest of the cast is largely fine, with a worthy mention going to Zane Hopkins as Pete, whose Seans best friend. that tries to keep him together.
The release is barebones, with only a few trailers and an image gallery. It’s a pity there are no interviews with either director John Williams or lead Darren McAree- to get a bit of info on how the film came about.
Watch Me Sleep is an effective, at times creepy to intense blend of drama and horror. I wanted to give this a three and a half mark, but as we only do whole numbers, I’ve gone for three. I’ll most certainly be looking into the rest of Mr Williams ' filmography.