Sleepwalker

Sleepwalker

Year: 2017

Runtime: 88 mins

Language: English

Director: Elliott Lester

Thriller

A young woman seeks help from a sleep clinic for her insomnia, but soon deals with her entire life being turned upside down.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Sleepwalker yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline – Sleepwalker (2017)

Trace every key event in Sleepwalker (2017) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Admission to sleep clinic and initial monitoring

After her husband's suicide, Sarah Foster begins sleepwalking and is sent to a sleep clinic for evaluation. Dr. Koslov and Dr. White monitor her brain activity as she endures a night of dreamless sleep, waking up in a bizarrely different room. Koslov informs her she has been moved for continued observation and should stay longer.

Sleep clinic
2

Identity confusion begins

A professor and her roommate Dawn start calling her 'Miss Wells,' and her documents identify her as Sarah Wells. Koslov shows a form about a dream of being chased, but Sarah insists she never dreamed and questions the handwriting, which she says matches hers. The discrepancy deepens the mystery of who she really is.

Sleep clinic and campus paperwork
3

Memory loss research surfaces

She searches for information on selective memory loss and learns about partial retrograde amnesia. The medical explanations hint that memories can be altered or misattributed in sleep disorders, foreshadowing how her experiences may blend with someone else's. The idea plants seeds about a fragile sense of self.

Library / online research
4

Nicole replaces the roommate; eerie calls

Back at home, Sarah finds her roommate replaced by a stranger named Nicole and receives a phone call from a man who claims to know her. Dr. Cooper does not recognize Sarah, further eroding her grip on reality. That night, she dreams of being suffocated.

Apartment
5

Strange intrusion into reality

The next morning, she wakes to find herself locked out of her apartment and discovers Nicole inside with another girl. After breaking in through a window, she sees unfamiliar belongings in her room and a taunting man on the phone. She hides in the laundry room as water seeps under the door, realizing the events could be intruding on her waking life.

Outside apartment / strange house
6

White's guidance and a street chase

Dawn returns to a normal routine, but White explains that sleep issues can warp perception of reality. A dark-haired man begins chasing her on the street, but White intervenes and offers her a ride, framing dreams as a way to understand her emotions. This guidance hints at a deeper connection between dreams and danger.

City street / campus
7

Plastic trap dream and the eerie house

She dreams of being trapped in plastic and wakes to find herself back in the strange house, where she is confronted by a fearful woman. The dream imagery begins to bleed into her waking life, blurring the boundary between fantasy and reality.

Strange house
8

Lab confusion and uneasy recognitions

Back in the lab, Koslov does not recognize her and another man named White claims to know her. During a campus lecture, a woman in the audience recognizes Sarah, confirming that others are aware of her under circumstances she does not grasp.

Sleep lab and campus
9

Pursuit, evasion, and water intrusions

After evading the police outside her apartment, she hides in the laundry again as water starts to seep in, signaling that the boundary between dream and reality is breaking down. The tension suggests someone is manipulating her environment from afar.

Outside apartment / Laundry room
10

Sleep lab revelation

She wakes in the sleep laboratory to learn that the police found she has been sleepwalking; she cannot recall the events, but data shows she was dreaming. White suggests that the stalker might help connect two conflicting realities, hinting at a sinister link between her waking life and dreams.

During monitoring session Sleep lab
11

Diary reveals a shocking truth

Back home, Sarah reads a diary and discovers that Jonathan was murdered, not the suicide she believed. This revelation reframes her memories and deepens the mystery of who is manipulating her life. Cooper advises protection as the strain of memory returns.

Apartment
12

Anna Wells and the mind's trap

The truth finally emerges: Sarah realizes she is actually Anna Wells, the obsessive fan who shot Jonathan, while the original Sarah Foster is the man’s true partner. Flashbacks reveal Anna's coma and her struggle for breath, trapped inside her mind as she mistook her identity.

Mindscape / memory space

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:00

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Psychological Thrillers with Unreliable Narrators like Sleepwalker

Stories where perception is distorted and the line between truth and delusion blurs.If you enjoyed the mind-bending reality distortion in Sleepwalker, explore these movies where the protagonist's perception is untrustworthy. These stories feature memory loss, identity crises, and a constant questioning of reality, creating a similar feeling of anxious uncertainty for the viewer.

unreliable narratordisorientingparanoiddreamlikepsychologicalmind-bendingunsettlinganxious

Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread are built around a central character whose grip on reality is tenuous. The plot unfolds through their distorted perspective, often involving memory gaps, hallucinations, or psychological conditions that force the audience to piece together a fractured truth.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped together because they share a core experience of cognitive dissonance. They use similar techniques to create suspense and dread not from external threats alone, but from the terrifying collapse of the protagonist's own mind, making the viewer an active participant in deciphering the puzzle.

Slow Burn Thrillers with a Claustrophobic Vibe like Sleepwalker

A steady, suffocating escalation of tension that traps you in a character's anxiety.Fans of the methodical, anxious pacing in Sleepwalker will appreciate these slow burn thrillers. These movies prioritize a steadily mounting sense of dread and a claustrophobic atmosphere over fast-paced action, creating a similar feeling of inescapable psychological tension.

slow burnclaustrophobicdreadanxiousatmosphericunsettlingmelancholictense

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a gradual, often inescapable, descent into a character's psychological turmoil. The conflict is internal as much as external, with tension derived from a sustained atmosphere of threat, uncertainty, and the slow unraveling of a character's sanity or safety.

Why These Movies?

They are connected by a shared approach to tension-building. Instead of jarring jump scares, they employ a steady, oppressive pacing and a focus on atmospheric dread. This creates a cohesive vibe of lingering anxiety and a profound, unsettling emotional weight.

Unlock the Full Story of Sleepwalker

Don't stop at just watching — explore Sleepwalker in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Sleepwalker is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Sleepwalker Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Sleepwalker, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Sleepwalker Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in Sleepwalker

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Sleepwalker. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in Sleepwalker

Sleepwalker Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Sleepwalker that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Sleepwalker Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Sleepwalker

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Sleepwalker: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Sleepwalker

Similar Movies to Sleepwalker

Discover movies like Sleepwalker that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.