Is The Sleepless Unrest irredeemably bad? Not even close. Mentions of such things are made, but only in passing. Explain past hauntings, go into how the current owners acquired the house and why they’d even want it. The fact that the Whelptons do not delve much into the history of the house at the outset, mainly only citing it from its well-known connection to the blockbuster horror franchise, is a missed opportunity. Why the research? Because the plot is so cliched, hitting trope after trope, it felt like poorly written fiction. The amount of research done to figure out if this was even a documentary (note: the movie’s site calls it such) and not a found footage narrative is almost laughable. Plus, they also really show off the infamous home, taking audiences on a guided tour so that every nook and cranny is known once the hauntings happen… if they ever do.īut The Sleepless Unrest fails to engage on most levels. This helps with the stakes, as if something were to go pear-shaped, help is not nearby. Secondly, the filmmakers are also able to achieve several drone shots that showcase just how isolated they are while staying at this house. “ Amateur paranormal investigators stay overnight in a possibly haunted house…” It should be pointed out that the house in question is the very one made famous from The Conjuring franchise. As such, their beliefs in the supernatural help more skeptical viewers buy into the possibility that the house is haunted. This makes the entire production quite dull, despite some good elements.įor one, the Whelptons, along with their fellow paranormal investigators, Brian Murray and Richel Stratton, are smart, articulate people. Sadly, directors Kendall and Vera Whelpton, despite having 14 cameras constantly recording for two weeks, squander most of their sophomore film’s scare potential by having the characters talk about what they saw without ever really showing that much. It somehow achieves this narrative stagnation while being a documentary. The Sleepless Unrest follows this formula to a T. Now, the investigators just hope to escape the abode with their lives. While there, the group is descended upon all manner of odd noises, inexplicable sightings, and a general feeling of eeriness. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Amateur paranormal investigators stay overnight in a possibly haunted house at the behest of the owners.
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