Considered by many one of Stephen King's most embarrassing projects, Sleepwalkers (1992) is indeed a very flawed movie, but a fun one nonetheless.
Director Mick Garris, one of the horror genre's most reliable filmmakers, injects a lot of energy and style into the story, and the performances by the main cast (Brian Krause, Alice Krige, and Madchen Amick) are top notch.
What takes the film down a number of notches are the considerably uneven screenplay (reportedly penned by Stephen King as a lark), and the herky-jerky pacing, causing the film to have an incoherent, episodic feel that never lets the characters fully come to life. Also, the film's tone is all over the place, alternating between black comedy, low-brow humor, gory horror, and, ultimately, serious horror; not exactly an easy mix to take.
But, decades after its release in theaters, the film still holds up, mainly because of the terrific make-up/creature effects by Tony Gardner, Garris's stylish direction, and capable performances by the cast, both human and feline (the film features more than a hundred cat performers). So taken for what it is, a cheesy but slick horror film from the early 90s, Sleepwalkers is a tremendously entertaining watch.
Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2017
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