It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

The movie is made so realistic it has a lot of that WoW feeling at the right moments and never tooo over the top. the suspense is done so well and the emotion is felt. Very well put together with the music and all.

If you can't sleep, you might as well watch a movie. If you make that movie "Chasing Sleep", you might even learn a thing a thing or two: (1) Don't skip class. Especially not if you're the professor. It'll be held against you. (2) Don't pick up the phone. Chances are it'll be trouble. (3) Don't go to the basement. Or the bathroom. There be demons. (4) Get the plumbing fixed before it's too late. And whatever it is, don't just flush it down. It's gonna come back up. (5) Don't trust pretty strangers who bring you soup. They have ulterior motives. And don't pretend we didn't warn you. (6) Don't trust your friends. They're not your friends. (7) Don't trust yourself. You're unreliable. - Finally, and most importantly, don't watch this movie alone at home at night.

CHASING SLEEP is not bad. But it ain't good as well.The best thing about this David Lynch wannabe is Jeff Daniels himself. He really carries the movie to whatever effect the director wanted to create. Daniels is everything here: menacing, befuddled, oblivious, believable. It's probably his greatest performance. But to what end? It's sad that his acting career hasn't been as solid as in the 1990s. He's actually a very good actor, who can act in comedies as well as dramas.But as for the story itself, well, I believe it's up to the interpretation of whoever watches it and they can decide what it really is. The whole thing felt like David Lynch lite, if that's possible. I don't think the "story" was thought-out fully by the director and so the film feels half complete. It's not a disaster but it's definitely not a complete success. If it wasn't for Daniels' convincing acting, CHASING SLEEP wouldn't have been watchable.

This is yet another movie that I picked up from the .99c store. It is good, but it is not up to the level of movies such as "What Lies Beneath" even though it is in the same genre - psychological thriller. In its defense, I would say that I would much rather watch "Chasing Sleep" than "What Lies Beneath." (I have a problem with "major release" films that are specifically targeted towards broad audiences, done through immense advertising and artificially created hypes - only to capitalize on the week minds and weekend box office sales). But I guess one of the best movies, in this genre, that is superior to all of the ones mentioned above, and the one that I would enjoy watching the most, will be "Secret Window." But going back to commenting on "Chasing Sleep." It should be noted that there is a border line of making movies inexpensively, and dirt cheap. And this movie almost crossed it. It shouldn't really cost that much since it is stationed only on a couple of locations. But maybe paying off the actors significantly decremented the balance sheets. I guess what I am trying to say is that there should have been a little bit more money spend on locations and perhaps trying to show some of the action in other means - much like it is done in "Secret Window - where we see the character talking to himself, or to the air, etc. There are a few known names in this movie. However, there is only one actor that is great in this movie and that is Jeff Daniels, everyone else gives mediocre performances. The director has done a fine job with what it is. Particularly there are several very interesting techniques, which he used to build the psychological profile or maybe even the schizophrenic atmosphere. As a matter of fact those techniques are so well done and used, that they could easily end up in movie books. However, at the end of day, I can still see him saying "it is what it is," and retire to bed with a glass of whiskey. The plot is tough, just as you would expect. Just don't get high, thinking it is the only way you could understand it. Or maybe this genre targets that specific purpose? Just like X rated movies target… you know what… I don't think we are supposed to understand it, otherwise we would know everything about the conscious and there will be no more crazy people. Then everything will become boring. In the mean time - if you are bored, pick this up for a little mind puzzle. Don't worry - the IMDb message boards have plenty of discussion boards that will help you to form you own opinion about what happened. And that is - without the worthless need to use drugs. The moral of the story is - stay drug free! And for that (and for the amazing camera/sound techniques) I give it 6 out of 10.

"Chasing Sleep" is from the first minute it rolls over your screen a perfect and decent psychological thriller. We have an amazing and excellent acting "Jeff Daniels" as the leading role. A little unconventional role for his being but surprisingly enough it suits him perfect. The movie like I already wrote starts from the first second on when you hit the play button as a damn good quality thriller! While the movie takes off and creates minute by minute a perfect dark story it will take you at the same time on a ride onto that downwards spiral of loosing every inch of sanity a human being can possess. Also we have pretty weird scenes into the film such as the oversize baby in the bathtub, blood running out of tabs and toilets as very strange water stains on walls and ceilings. The plot line is based on the mysterious disappearance of his wife, what happened with her? This is the whole intention of the movie, the complete 89min of running time; "What happened to my wife?" Not only this question will pop up but so many more questions will arrive! And then we have the promised minute, the 90th minute of the running time and you're waiting for those answers, as for the biggest one of them all, "What happened too the wife?"And you wait and,and wait,and wait,and wait,…end credits pop onto your screen!If not for such a big disappointment of an ending. Which is so mysterious and open that even the "Bermuda Triangle" would disappear in it, I would have giving it an 8 outa of 10. But this overall serious bummer of an open ending sucks so big time I bombarded the movie without any shame to a 1 outa 10. Did I miss something in the movie; do I need to give it a second view? Well I think I'm not able because I was so disappointed the first time. Can anybody maybe help me out? What did I miss, if I did miss something in the first place!Dario/