“Something Terrible Might Happen” | Jason Yu, Sleep

Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Yu-mi star in Jason Yu’s Sleep. (Courtesy of Magnet Releasing)

In Sleep, the feature directorial debut of Jason Yu, a protégé of Oscar-winning South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) mines the night terrors of sleep-walking for a darkly comic horror-thriller about the dread-inducing tensions of domestic intimacy. 

Screening at the Chicago Critics Film Festival on Friday, May 3, at 11:59 p.m. at the Music Box, as the opening-night midnight selection (get tickets now), Sleep follows newlyweds Hyun-su (Lee Sun-kyun, Parasite) and Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi), whose domestic bliss is disrupted when Hyun-su begins speaking in his sleep, ominously stating, “Someone’s inside.” 

From that night on, whenever he falls asleep, Hyun-su transforms into someone else, with no recollection of what happened the night before. Overwhelmed with anxiety that he may hurt himself or their young family, Soo-jin can barely sleep because of this irrational fear. Despite treatment, Hyun-su’s sleepwalking only intensifies, and Soo-jin begins to feel that her unborn child may be in danger.

Ahead of Sleep screening at the Chicago Critics Film Festival, Yu graciously took the time to answer this year’s CCFF filmmaker questionnaire. Below, his individual responses. 

How did you first become interested in filmmaking? What was your path toward directing your first film?

I feel like I’m a "late bloomer" in filmmaking. I wasn’t particularly interested in films in my teens. I wasn’t an avid movie watcher, and my visits to the theater were sparse and exclusive to blockbuster hits. I never went to film school, either. I majored in economics, hoping to work for a prestigious Korean conglomerate one day.

A life-changing moment was when I stumbled upon a small creative writing class at university. I was introduced to a vast array of great books and films. But more importantly, I was made aware of "the craft" of storytelling and its storytellers.

I began my unofficial film education by consuming countless films during my years in the military. Upon discharge, I joined the university’s filmmaking club, where I studied films from various directors and created my own short films. After graduating, I began working in film sets, learning as much as possible about how a film gets made.

I’m still a new student of filmmaking. I've learned a lot from making Sleep, but there's much more to improve upon, and I’m excited to learn and grow as a filmmaker.

What inspired you to make the film you're bringing to the festival?

I remember stumbling upon shocking sleepwalking stories, whether that be someone falling out of a window, driving, or harming their loved ones in their sleep. I began to wonder about the lives of such people but, more importantly, the lives of their loved ones. I wondered how they manage their everyday lives, especially with the looming fear that something terrible might happen while they sleep.

Some personal elements inspired the story as well. While writing the screenplay, I was preparing to marry my long-time girlfriend, which likely inspired my choice to depict the protagonists as a married couple.

Reflecting on films about marriage, I noticed that central conflicts often stem from internal issues: someone makes an irredeemable mistake, a massive fight ensues, or love simply fades away. But, given my imminent entry into married life, I wanted to portray marriage differently. I wanted to show a couple who really loved and supported each other. I then wanted to introduce an external obstacle and explore how they would overcome it together.

Tell us about a film that you consider a guiding influence (whether it has informed your overarching vision as a filmmaker, directly informed the title you're bringing to the festival, or both).

Sleep’s greatest influence is Okja directed by Bong Joon-ho. I worked extensively on the film as one of the assistant directors, and I learned almost everything I know about filmmaking during this period. At the time, I never really thought I was there to learn because I was caught up in doing my job and trying to ensure I didn't ruin his film. But while making Sleep, I realized that I was utilizing what I learned from observing Director Bong for every stage of production. So in that sense, Okja was one of the biggest influences for Sleep and a crucial part of my filmmaking education.

Tell us about a location that's held significance to the film you're bringing to the festival: a setting where filming took place, a geographic area that provided a source of inspiration, or another type of space that comes to mind for you in thinking about the film. What made this place so special?

The film Sleep is (almost) entirely set in Soo-jin's home, making the location of the house most significant. Despite the challenge of working within this confined space, we embraced the adage that “constraint is a form of liberation.” And thanks to the cinematographer and production designer, the constraints of the location soon transformed into creative opportunities.

As the film is divided into chapters, we made deliberate decisions to ensure that, for each chapter, the house's aesthetic reflected the evolving dynamics of Soo-jin and Hyun-soo's relationship. For example, in the first chapter, the atmosphere is warm and cozy, mirroring the couple's affection. However, as their relationship strains in the second chapter, the house takes on a colder, more prison-like appearance. (I won't go into the final third chapter to avoid potential spoilers!)

The theatrical experience brings us together to celebrate artistic experience and expand our horizons as human beings. Tell us about a memorable theatrical experience from your life.

I thoroughly enjoy the experience of attending the midnight screenings at film festivals, particularly at genre film festivals. The audience is usually composed of die-hard film lovers who frequent these festivals annually, so much so that they often have their own quirky traditions before each screening. Recently, I visited the Gérardmer Film Festival in France; before every film started, someone in the audience would laugh hysterically like a witch!

Anyway, when the theater is filled with passionate film enthusiasts, the atmosphere becomes infectious. Attendees aren't there to critique the films but to simply have a good time. This collective enthusiasm truly enhances the movie-watching experience. Jokes seem funnier, laughter is louder, and the twists and turns are more surprising and suspenseful. It feels as though you’re part of a larger organism experiencing the world of the film together.

Sleep screens Friday, May 3, at 11:59 p.m, as part of the Chicago Critics Film Festival (May 3–9, at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago). Get your tickets now.