Nightmares and Fantasy: Movies About Sleep That Will Keep You Wide Awake and Entertained

The subject of sleep has long been one that’s been delved into within the world of cinema in a myriad of ways. Whether through fantasies, drama, horror, and even comedy, sleep has been the background and critical aspect of many great movies.

The film in question may look to use dreams as the cornerstone of their movie masterpiece or perhaps utilize the repercussions insomnia can have on a lead character, and it’s worth noting that a prolonged period of poor sleep can have serious consequences, as laid out in this interesting survey carried out by online casino Betway.

Here are five classic films that use sleep, or the lack thereof, as a key element of their plot.

Inception (2010)

This complex but hugely original and enjoyable movie is built around sleep. The premise involves individuals being able to infiltrate an individual’s mind during a sleep state to then carry out a form of inception by implanting an idea or thought into their mind.

It features a stellar cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Caine, and Tom Hardy, and is a cult classic that has left many baffled as to the ending and what it may or may not represent.

It’s the product of the genius mind of director Christopher Nolan, who appears again later on in this list for another movie he put together that has sleep as a central pillar of its narrative.

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

If you watched this as a kid, then you didn’t stand a chance. The idea of a madman haunting your dreams to such an extent that it could cause deadly ramifications on your waking life is one that will have led many to have sleepless nights.

The original, released in 1984, saw Robert Englund take the role of Freddie Krueger, and he did so in a number of sequels. The film was written and directed by horror legend Wes Craven, and the first adventure of the franchise also starred a young Johnny Depp in one of his first big screen roles.

Insomnia (2002)

This excellent thriller, from the aforementioned Nolan, was actually a remake of a Norwegian film and sees Al Pacino play a homicide detective sent to investigate a murder in a town where, at this particular point of the year, the sun doesn’t set.

This leads to Pacino suffering a severe case of insomnia which leads to a very fraught experience for him and the audience as Christopher Nolan expertly presents this state of confusion caused by the lack of sleep as he tries to catch killer Robin Williams.

Dreamscape (1984)

This 80s cult classic stars a young Dennis Quaid, who has the power to get into and manipulate people’s dreams. He is enlisted to help the President of the United States, who is suffering from serious nightmares, and in doing so, accidentally undercover a plan to have him assassinated.

The Science of Sleep (2006)

From the same warped mind that brought us the iconic Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind came The Science of Sleep, released two years later.

Michel Gondry’s movies are always intricate and eye-catching, and often thought-provoking, and in this movie, his central character, played by Gael Garcia Bernal, sees his dreams invade his waking life, leading to a somewhat confused existence, to say the least.