Chasing Sleep

Ed Saxon wakes to find his wife missing from their Seattle home. He swallows a batch of mysterious pills and calls Susie, sounding confused and worried. The unsettling situation marks the start of a day that spirals into paranoia.

Susie urges Ed to contact a hospital, but they have no record of his wife being admitted. Unsatisfied with the lack of answers, Ed decides to report the situation to the police. A creeping sense of dread begins to take hold.

Detective Derm arrives and, surprisingly, takes pills similar to Saxon's, suggesting he is also affected by the unfolding mystery. This parallel act hints at a shared vulnerability between the investigator and the missing wife’s husband. Derm begins a careful examination of Ed's circumstances.

They check the wife's workplace and listen to messages on the answering machine, including inquiries from a man named George Simian and a concern from a student named Sadie. Derm notes that the wife's abandoned car was found near Simian's house, deepening the web of connections. The search expands beyond the home as the day unfolds.

George Simian's message about his wife is discovered, and Derm remarks that the abandoned car was located near Simian's house. The implication is that Simian may be connected to whatever happened to Saxon's wife. The investigation widens to cover acquaintances and potential rivalries.

Saxon misses his college class, drawing the ire of colleagues and students. Sadie, a student, leaves a message expressing concern about his unexplained absences. The interaction foreshadows later personal entanglements between Saxon and Sadie.

Saxon experiences a series of hallucinations and blackouts, causing time to jump forward unpredictably. The episodes deepen his sense of disorientation and blur the line between reality and fantasy. His grip on the ordinary world deteriorates as the day wears on.

His phone becomes a barrage of work reminders and an abusive call from Simian, culminating in a physical confrontation. Sadie then visits, concerned about his unexplained absences, and Ed tries to placate her by lying that his wife is visiting her mother. The exchange leaves both of them unsettled and more emotionally entangled.

Sadie collapses in the bathroom, bloodying her nose and complaining of hearing a scream. Ed explains that neighbors’ fights can be heard from his house and offers her a change of clothes. Later, Derm returns to search the house and discovers Sadie's bloody shirt, signaling potential trouble for Saxon.

In the diary, Saxon's wife expresses mixed emotions toward him, including pity, contempt, and fear. Ed promises to give the diary to Derm but burns it instead. The act removes a direct source of truth amid the mounting tension.

Geoffrey Costas, a psychiatrist who leads a victim support group, visits Ed and offers comfort while prescribing stronger medication to combat long-term insomnia. Ed remains sleepless and continues to suffer blackouts despite the high-dose prescriptions. The therapy plan marks a shift toward medical relief for his unraveling psyche.

Sadie returns, expressing loneliness and admiration for Saxon and seeking a closer connection. Susie interrupts them, and Ed dismisses Sadie as just a student. The moment ends with an abortive tryst that Ed abruptly calls off.

Derm calls to reveal that they've discovered his wife's body; however the police later tell him they have not found the body yet, fueling suspicion that Saxon is involved. The conflicting information raises the stakes and tests Ed's credibility.

George Simian returns to Saxon's house enraged and intent on killing him; Saxon shoots and kills Simian. Overcome with guilt, Saxon swallows every pill he can find, attempting to bury the horror.

Derm arrives after the murder and finds Saxon in denial, while the bathtub floods with blood. Saxon then envisions his wife playing the piano, a haunting image that seals his descent into guilt and madness.