Indonesian filmmaker Edwin makes his first proper foray into horror with “Sleep No More,” a darkly comic supernatural thriller that transforms labor exploitation into the source of terror itself. The film has its world premiere in the Berlinale Special Midnight section.
The feature marks a genre evolution for Edwin, whose previous film, “Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash,” won the Golden Leopard at Locarno in 2021. Rather than abandoning the social commentary that has defined his career, Edwin uses the horror framework to sharpen his critique of working conditions and capitalist systems.
The film follows three siblings investigating their mother’s death at a hair accessory factory, where the tyrannical owner, Maryati, exploits workers through punishing shifts and productivity incentives that prioritize greed over sleep. Putri believes her mother committed suicide due to the brutal conditions, while her sister Ida suspects supernatural possession brought on by extreme exhaustion. Their younger brother, Bona, who possesses an unusual healing ability, becomes a target for a ghostly entity seeking an ideal host body.
“I think the reality can be portrayed with every genre in cinema,” Edwin tells Variety. “There’s too many crazy stuff in Indonesia in our everyday life which is already serious, so maybe horror-comedy is the perfect genre to be used as a tool to discuss our everyday life problems.”
The production is an Indonesia-Singapore-Japan-Germany-France co-production, with Rachel Amanda, Lutesha and Iqbaal Ramadhan starring alongside Didik Nini Thowok and Sal Priadi. The screenplay was co-written by Edwin with Daishi Matsunaga and acclaimed novelist Eka Kurniawan.
Edwin conducted extensive research into actual factory conditions to design what he describes as a toxic ecosystem rather than simply a location. The film explores how workers remain disconnected from the ultimate purpose of their labor.
“I’m really interested in how the factory system now — we don’t know what we work for,” Edwin explains. “Everybody works hard, even a lot of accidents happen because of these targets, but for what? For something that we don’t know.”
The filmmaker cites Jordan Peele’s assertion that horror and comedy are essentially similar, separated mainly by music and sound design. Edwin weaves dark humor and surreal elements throughout what is otherwise a brutal examination of exploitation.
“Building terror and building comedy is quite almost similar, and it works really well on expressing critiques, expressing anger,” he says.
The choice to work in horror also responds to the Indonesian market, where the genre draws substantial youth audiences. Edwin sees an opportunity to engage with genre fans while delivering substantive social commentary.
“There’s a big market on it, especially in Indonesia. A lot of young people, old people too, they really like to come to cinema to experience the genre,” he notes. “I would love to have a conversation with them. How can I offer something to the horror genre audience?”
The capitalist critique runs deep in Edwin’s filmography, extending back to his short films from the early 2000s. With “Sleep No More,” the questioning has taken on new urgency.
“I’m kind of questioning whether capitalism is the perfect system for us,” Edwin says. “I think now it’s even an urgent question whether we should really reflect on what we do with capitalism, the system that creates powerful people that are using capitalism as their machine.”
The film is produced by Palari Films and Beacon Film in Indonesia, with co-producers Giraffe Pictures in Singapore, Hassaku Lab in Japan, In Good Company in Germany and Apsara Films in France. Showbox Corp. handles world sales.
Edwin’s previous work includes “Postcards From the Zoo,” which screened in Berlinale Competition in 2012 and won the Edward Yang New Talent Award at the Asian Film Awards. His debut feature, “Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly,” received the FIPRESCI award at Rotterdam.
Looking ahead, Edwin expresses interest in exploring science fiction, Indonesian history and what he describes as more complicated human emotions. His immediate next project will examine how teenagers navigate what he calls a “crazy full of validation looking world.”
“In terms of storytelling, yes, I love to explore the plot, but sometimes with plots it’s challenging to explore more complicated feelings, which is more human, complicated and human,” he says.