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Luis Fernando Pena, Leonor Varela, Jacob Vargas, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Meztli Adamina ... see more see more... , Jose Concepión Macías , Giovanna Zacarías , Emilio Guerrero , Norma Pablo , Roberto Reyes , Guillermo Ríos , Andaluz Russell , Jorge Zepeda

In a bleak future where the borders have been sealed, vast computer networks commodify memories, and corporate warriors have been militarized, a tech-savvy "campesino" from a small Santa Ana farm vill... read more read more...age discovers a mysterious transmission that seems to be a blueprint for the city of the future. Memo Cruz lives with his family in Santa Ana del Rio, a remote farming community that has recently been hijacked by a private company. Having already taken control of the entire area's water supply, the company is now seeking to sell the precious resource back to citizens at criminal prices. As a result, aqua-terrorist cells have recently formed, with the explicit goal of taking back the water supply by force if necessary. Despite the growing tension in Santa Ana, however, all Memo really cares about is technology. Memo longs to find employment as a node worker in the high-tech factories of the northern cities, and has recently constructed a transmitter that allows him to vicariously experience the lives of others. One evening, while surfing the local airwaves, the gifted eavesdropper locks onto a forbidden broadcast not intended for the general public -- a broadcast that lays out explicit plans for creating a future that Memo could have never imagined. Subsequently targeted by the government -- which has discovered evidence of his radio intercept and now views him as a direct threat -- Memo must flee to Tijuana after his home is destroyed in a violent remote-control bombing. Memo hopes to find work in Tijuana, and along the way he meets aspiring journalist Luz, a bright young woman in search of her breakthrough story. Later, after selling some of her memories online to a mysterious client, Luz helps Memo acquire the nodes he needs to connect to the network and get a job. As Memo plugs his body into the system and discovers that work in a high-tech factory can be fairly treacherous, Luz works to uncover the identity of her biggest fan, and these three unsuspecting individuals become caught up in a plot that could transform their world forever. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

40% liked it

115,455 ratings

Critics

66% liked it

32 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Alex Rivera

Release Date: January 19, 2009

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DVD Release Date: September 8, 2009

Stats: 1,333 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,333)

  • Tomassgringo
    November 29, 2010
    Tomassgringo
    Other than a few cheesy special effects... this was a really good story about a guy willing to really do all he can to help his family and a stranger willing to try correct an injustice. It is a future I can see becoming a reality and I hope their are still people with good hear... read morets in a jaded day.
  • gator681
    April 26, 2009
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]In "Sleep Dealer," Memo(Luis Fernando Pena) lives in an arid section of Mexico where he and his father(Jose Concepcion Macias) have to now pay for water which was once free for the taking because of a new dam built by a multinational corporation. In his spar... read moree time, Memo is an amateur hacker and accidentally accesses a military channel which brings down the wrath of the military and reality television, and his father is killed by a remotely controlled military drone. Having no reason to stay, he travels to Tijuana to seek his fortune. Along the way, he meets Luz(Leonor Varela), a writer, who sells her memories on line through a series of nodes installed on her body. The nodes also allow for workers to work remotely from Tijuana since the border was closed, projecting themselves into other countries.[/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]Set in a remarkably familiar-looking near future, "Sleep Dealer" is an intelligent allegory about the modern world, focusing on themes of globalization and the war on error. This is what science fiction should be about, more ideas than just the empty spectacles we will be subjected in weeks to come. It just goes to prove that what happens in plain sight can be scarier than any grand conspiracy we can ever dream up. Regrettably, the ending is a little too predictable and audience pleasing, though. [/font]
  • juliantoepfer
    February 9, 2012
    juliantoepfer
    'Sleep Dealer' is a very apt title for this film as it will most surely deal you a long, deep, immediate and premature night of deep sleep. In simpler terms, it is boring as hell. Poorly made film ripping off ideas from 'The Matrix' and shoehorning them into a heavy handed messag... read moree about illegal immigration, labor laws, refugees and government paranoia. I'm shocked that people have such positive things to say about it, because it was not good.

    From a visual standpoint, the film-making is amateur at best. Over-saturated colors make everything look jaundiced and visually unappealing. PS2 CGI and effects incorporation are laughable. The direction is jarring and badly edited. Just a very poor technically executed film in pretty much every way.

    The acting is another point of flat out terrible. Pena is unbelievably bad. Unflinching, stone faced, unable to compute any sort of emotion or relateability and just a total waste. What makes his horrible performance even worse is that his character is portrayed to be deep and charismatic which is the antithesis of his acting. Substitute him with a dead fish, and few would notice. In the 'positives' for him, Varela and Vargas are almost as bad, so at least he isn't alone. Ridged and off-putting performances all around.

    The story has potential, but the most interesting bits are inconsequential. The world they live in is far more interesting than the characters themselves, but unfortunately this isn't focused on. Director Rivera is fixated on these uninteresting doofus characters for some reason, and completely misses out on really exploring this reality. Misses the boat entirely, and becomes a boring, preachy and unbelievably dull.

    Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm not quite sure why I rated it as high as 1.5 stars. It does have some interesting ideas and an interesting idea of the future, but it is completely and offensively underutilized. All in all, a waste of potential and pretty much a total waste of time. But again, it did deal me a good nights sleep, so I give a thumbs up to the title.
  • beat258
    February 15, 2010
    beat258
    It reminded me of another movie that was almost similar. But i just cant remember. Fun movie of what the future could become. Pretty much true.
  • brent73rn
    February 7, 2010
    brent73rn
    Surprisingly good sci-fi drama that studies how technology could change society, or actually how society probably won't change. It's a story of migrants and their plight for a better life. Its also a story about connecting to the world at large and how technology might never be ... read moreable to replace human contact. Even with all these themes the writer and director did a great job of telling a coherent story. acting is a bit off here and there with some of the support cast and the ending is a bit obvious, but overall a really good movie. oh and a nice piece of comedic relief with the abuelitas dropping it like its hot.
  • MovieSnob
    February 4, 2010
    MovieSnob
    Saw this at a screening at my school with the director introducing the film. A well-told, connected, story that illustrates a disturbing future, which I hope we are not really headed towards,
  • filmguy450
    November 22, 2009
    filmguy450
    In the future, companies control the water and everyone must pay asinine prices to get any, and there's a group of terrioists fightimg against this, and there are drone controllers who, through being hooked up to a computer, control a drone and attack the hideouts of the terriois... read morets. To describe more would simply give too much away, but don't let the simple description above fool you, this movie is heady and thrilling and very entertaining. There's more to it then terrioists fighting and things blowing up, and the characters all have good motivations and sometmes question themselves, seriously fasincating stuff.
  • dfduncan
    November 17, 2009
    dfduncan
    Science fiction in the best and truest sense of the term, and with not one alien, spaceship or laser in sight. Very well directed, photographed and acted. It has a lot to say about imperialism, corporate power, and American attitudes toward "guest workers" but says it all without... read more screaming it. Alex Rivera is a director to watch for. I'll have to start watching more Mexican movies.
  • elhobbit
    September 16, 2009
    elhobbit
    If you enjoyed films like eXistenZ and Equilibrium you may enjoy this film. Transgressors go virtual!
  • retardsbeware
    September 1, 2009
    retardsbeware
    such an interesting movie. a point of view you never get to see in a style you hardly get to see. highly reccommended.

View All Sleep Dealer Reviews

Critic Reviews

Peter Hartlaub
June 19, 2009
Peter Hartlaub, Houston Chronicle

Sleep Dealer is flawed, but still vibrant and inventive. Whether he finds larger budgets or keeps doing movie like this, Rivera is definitely a filmmaker to follow. Full Review

Michael Phillips
June 5, 2009
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

Alex Rivera's overstuffed but intriguing feature debut, Sleep Dealer, takes a speculative leap into Tijuana's near future, imagining the next evolution of cheap labor. Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
June 5, 2009
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

Clearly, Rivera knows one of the great gifts of the sci-fi genre. An uncanny world invites new ways of seeing. It offers new chances to ask the hard -- and too often, hardened -- questions. Full Review

Wesley Morris
May 14, 2009
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

The combination of rusty amateurism, future technology, and clear-and-present politics creates a trippy time-space kick: This dusty little movie feels like yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Full Review

Kenneth Turan
April 17, 2009
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Adventurous, ambitious and ingeniously futuristic, Sleep Dealer is a welcome surprise. Full Review

A.O. Scott
April 17, 2009
A.O. Scott, New York Times

Sleep Dealer is an unusually thoughtful science fiction film, using the speculative energy of the genre to explore some troubling and complex contemporary issues.

Aaron Hillis
April 14, 2009
Aaron Hillis, Village Voice

From the imperialist villains and their humanitarian abuses to the laborers dying on their feet, what's so clever about tricking out this worn-out tale of woe into a genre flick? Full Review

Logan Hill
March 24, 2008
Logan Hill, New York Magazine

[This] lo-fi sci-fi debut is jam-packed with sly satirical gestures that more than compensate for its more-traditional shortcomings. Full Review

Justin Chang
January 28, 2008
Justin Chang, Variety

Despite some clever virtual-reality concepts and projections about the next frontier of globalization, Alex Rivera's ambitious directing debut lacks the vision, or the budget, to pull off its fusion o... Full Review

Kirk Honeycutt
January 25, 2008
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

The freshness and ingenuity of this techno-thriller should spark a cult following.

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