I must admit that Don’t Close Your Eyes is not an easy film to solve. The plot is convoluted, and the time jumps may be a bit disconcerting, but this isn’t the reason I had a hard time with it. The multiple characters and their motivations target their words at a subject who was fragile but didn’t know about it and towards another subject that’s puzzling and mystical. One will triumph, of course, and the other remains a narrative device that some people will have a hard time with.
The story takes place in two different timelines. Decades ago, in 1980, a boy couldn’t stop the accident where his sister drowned, and he was banished from his own home by his father. Peter, an 18-year-old teenager, is forced to seek solace in a monastery with orthodox priests who decide to take care of him as long as no one tries to find him. It’s here that Peter learns the way of religious principles.
In 2024, a priest named Paul is forced to deal with his sister’s sudden diagnosis of cancer. His own family is shattered, and Paul starts to doubt himself and the faith he was brought up on. Many seek solutions from him, but he just doesn’t know where to find them.
The rest of the movie takes place in a natural flow that will inevitably merge the two stories. Once it happens, it becomes apparent that Peter and Paul are not related by any means. They are two entities whose purpose is defined by faith and the basics of religion. Although I understood the insight of religion was important in Don’t Close Your Eyes, there were stones left unturned and questions unanswered. Those who are familiar with my work know that I don’t mind a few mysteries, but in this movie, the lack of answers was risky. Regardless, the film worked. It flows into a bizarre climax that follows a tone I failed to see in the movie. Don’t Close Your Eyes was bleak and hopeless, and that element of darkness inevitably served a purpose. But the conclusion felt rushed and a bit discordant with the rest of the story.
But don’t get me wrong. Even though I have a few bones to pick with the story and the editing work, Don’t Close Your Eyes is a riveting example of a drama that dares to break a few rules. It doesn’t drive you to suspend your disbelief, but then the conclusion was a bit esoteric and mysterious. Of course, I understand miracles should not be questioned if they allow you to stay beside your loved one. But this all seems secondary to the powerfully human story that hides between the crevices of a deeply religious movie. Belief is important, but according to this film, it is faith that will allow you to achieve the impossible.
Film critic. Lover of all things horror. Member of the OFCS. RT Approved Critic.
