Laura Hasn’t Slept (2020)

Directed by: Parker Finn | 11 minutes | short film, horror | Actors: Caitlin Stasey, Lew Temple

Any doctor, self-help book, self-proclaimed coach or health blog will agree: sleep is essential for good health. Skipping two nights just like that is about the most unwise thing you can do. But what if you don’t dare to sleep?

The Laura from the title of these horror shorts has already had a few sleepless nights. The reason is that she has the same nightmare over and over and she feels that there is more to it than a normal thinking person would. That is why she visits a psychotherapist. No waiting lists here, help is urgently needed!

Aside from the fact that the Dutch mental health system can still learn from this, Laura’s decision to seek professional help may not have been her best decision. So you see, sleep is important!

Actress Caitlin Stasey portrays a young woman who is close to despair with complete credibility. Her distraught monologue keeps you glued to the canvas and you immediately empathize with her. The film steadily builds up to a climax, but it comes too quickly and after that the tension is really over. That’s a shame, but just for those first minutes alone, ‘Laura Hasn’t Slept’ is worth it. “Laura Hasn’t Slept,” which won the Special Jury Recognition Prize in the SWSW Midnight Short category at SXSW in 2020 (held online due to COVID-19), is reportedly being made into a feature film.