Sleep
Hyun-su and Soo-jin are newlyweds. Seemingly out of nowhere, he starts talking in his sleep. "Someone's inside." From that night on, whenever he falls asleep, he transforms into someone else with no recollection of what happened the night before. Soo-jin is overwhelmed with anxiety that he'd hurt her family while she sleeps and can barely sleep a wink because of this irrational fear. Despite sleep treatment, Hyun-su’s sleepwalking only intensifies, and she begins to feel that her unborn child may be in danger…
The film earned $11.0M at the global box office.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Sleep (2023) exhibits meticulously timed dramatic framework, characteristic of Jason Yu's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 34 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.7, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Hyun-su and Soo-jin are shown as a happy newlywed couple in their small Seoul apartment. Soo-jin is pregnant, and they share intimate, loving moments that establish their contentment and optimism for their future together.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Hyun-su suddenly sits up in bed during the night and says "Someone is inside" in a strange, detached voice. This first sleepwalking episode is unsettling and marks the beginning of the terror that will consume their lives.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 24 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to After Hyun-su tries to harm Soo-jin during a violent sleep episode, she makes the active choice to lock him in the bedroom at night with restraints. This decision marks their entrance into a new reality where their marriage becomes a survival situation., moving from reaction to action.
At 47 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat Hyun-su nearly kills the baby during a sleep episode, getting into her crib with violent intent. This false defeat raises the stakes catastrophically - Soo-jin realizes that no amount of precaution can guarantee safety, and the condition is worsening rather than improving., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 71 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, In the darkest moment, Soo-jin herself begins experiencing the same terrifying sleep condition, suggesting it may be contagious or supernatural. Her one certainty - that she could protect her family - dies, and she contemplates whether they can survive this as a family at all., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 75 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Soo-jin discovers crucial information about the nature of the condition - potentially linked to psychological trauma or a specific trigger. Armed with this new understanding and renewed determination, she decides to fight for her family rather than abandon them., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Sleep's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Sleep against these established plot points, we can identify how Jason Yu utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Sleep within the horror genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional horror films include Lake Placid, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Cat's Eye.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Hyun-su and Soo-jin are shown as a happy newlywed couple in their small Seoul apartment. Soo-jin is pregnant, and they share intimate, loving moments that establish their contentment and optimism for their future together.
Theme
Soo-jin's mother warns her that "marriage changes people" and expresses concern about how well she really knows Hyun-su, introducing the theme of how well we can truly know those closest to us, even in intimate relationships.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of the couple's domestic life: Hyun-su works as an actor, Soo-jin is a homemaker preparing for their baby. Their apartment is small but cozy. We see their routines, finances, relationships with in-laws, and the normal anxieties of expecting parents.
Disruption
Hyun-su suddenly sits up in bed during the night and says "Someone is inside" in a strange, detached voice. This first sleepwalking episode is unsettling and marks the beginning of the terror that will consume their lives.
Resistance
Soo-jin initially dismisses the episode as stress. The sleepwalking incidents escalate: Hyun-su makes strange gestures, eats raw meat from the fridge, and exhibits increasingly disturbing behavior. They consult doctors and try various remedies, debating whether this is medical or something else.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
After Hyun-su tries to harm Soo-jin during a violent sleep episode, she makes the active choice to lock him in the bedroom at night with restraints. This decision marks their entrance into a new reality where their marriage becomes a survival situation.
Mirror World
Soo-jin gives birth to their daughter. The baby represents both hope and vulnerability, creating a mirror storyline about protection and maternal instinct that will test whether love can overcome the growing horror in their home.
Premise
The "promise of the premise" - living with terrifying sleepwalking. Soo-jin develops elaborate safety systems, tries shamans and psychiatrists, and exhausts herself protecting both Hyun-su and their baby while searching desperately for answers about what's happening to her husband.
Midpoint
Hyun-su nearly kills the baby during a sleep episode, getting into her crib with violent intent. This false defeat raises the stakes catastrophically - Soo-jin realizes that no amount of precaution can guarantee safety, and the condition is worsening rather than improving.
Opposition
The situation deteriorates on all fronts: Hyun-su's career suffers, their marriage fractures under stress and sleep deprivation, Soo-jin's mental state deteriorates from exhaustion and fear, family members suggest separation, and medical professionals offer no real solutions.
Collapse
In the darkest moment, Soo-jin herself begins experiencing the same terrifying sleep condition, suggesting it may be contagious or supernatural. Her one certainty - that she could protect her family - dies, and she contemplates whether they can survive this as a family at all.
Crisis
Soo-jin reaches her breaking point, processing the possibility that their family may be doomed. She must confront whether to flee with the baby, commit Hyun-su to an institution, or find some other solution. The emotional weight of potential permanent separation looms.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Soo-jin discovers crucial information about the nature of the condition - potentially linked to psychological trauma or a specific trigger. Armed with this new understanding and renewed determination, she decides to fight for her family rather than abandon them.
Synthesis
Soo-jin implements a final plan combining medical intervention with emotional healing. The couple confronts the root cause together, facing the terror as a united front. They must protect their daughter through one final, climactic night where both parents battle the condition.
Transformation
The final image mirrors the opening but transformed: the family together, scarred but surviving. Whether fully cured or learning to live with the condition, they have endured, demonstrating that knowing someone means choosing them even when they become unknowable.