Written and directed by Michael Walker

Starring
Jeff Daniels (Pleasantville, 2 Days in the Valley)
Emily Bergl (Carrie 2: The Rage, Happy Campers, Spielberg’s Taken)
Gil Bellows (Ally McBeal, Shawshank Redemption)

Review: by Don (e-mail your faithful reviewer)

This movie was a head trip. The basic plot is that a college professor, who suffers chronic insomnia, wakes up from a fitful nap to discover his wife has still not come home. What follows is a Lynchian hell that first-time director Michael Walker pulls off well.

The whole film takes place solely within Ed Saxon’s (Jeff Daniels) house. We never leave. We never see outside. Just a few shots of the porch from inside the house, always against black darkness. The feeling of claustrophobia grows and the question must be asked, where is his wife?

Things happen with frightening speed, then suddenly drop into eternity. Fingers crawl across the floor. Where is his wife? We learn of past indiscretions that maybe aren’t so past. One of his students shows up and tries to seduce him. His mind begins to play tricks on him as a combination of stress, pills, and sleep deprivation begin to run merry hell all over his brain. And where is his wife?

The police arrive, answering his missing persons call, and that’s fine... at least until suspicious things start turning up in his house. Where the hell is his wife? Horrible visions plague him and memories return. How long has it been since he actually slept? When he woke up earlier, was he actually asleep? What of the fingers crawling on the floor? Where is his wife?

There’s blood on the floor. Where did that come from? Quite a mess really. Man, I’m tired. Haven’t slept in forever. And where the hell is my wife? She should be home by now. How am I gonna clean up all this blood? This will take all night. And where the hell is my... Oh... oh, Christ. 

DVD Details:

It’s been awhile since I watched this, so I can’t remember what all was on the disc. Maybe some commentary. Seems like there was some commentary. Hard to say though... I haven’t been sleeping well and my memory is a bit fuzzy. Hey, have any of you seen my wife... ?

Further Information:

Internet Movie Database