Sleep Dealer (2008)
-
66% of critics liked it
(32 reviews) -
40% of users liked it
(115,885 ratings)
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 village discovers a mysterious transmission that seems to be a blueprint for the city of the… More 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 village 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
- Directed By
- Alex Rivera
- Written By
- Alex Rivera, David Riker
- Genres
- Art House & International, Science Fiction & Fantasy
PG-13,
- In Theaters
- Jan 19, 2009 Wide
- Studio
- Maya Releasing
Critic Reviews
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
Adventurous, ambitious and ingeniously futuristic, Sleep Dealer is a welcome surprise.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Subscription Services
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Cast
-
Luis Fernando Pena
as Memo Cruz
-
Leonor Varela
as Luz Martinez
-
Jacob Vargas
as Rudy Ramirez
-
Tenoch Huerta Mejía
as David Cruz
-
Meztli Adamina
as Dolores Cruz
-
Jose Concepión Macías
as Miguel Cruz
-
Giovanna Zacarías
as Bertha
-
Emilio Guerrero
as Ricki
-
Norma Pablo
as Lupe
-
Roberto Reyes
as Antonio
-
Guillermo Ríos
as Rudy's Supervisor
-
Andaluz Russell
as Angie RamÃrez, Angie Ramírez, Angie Ram...
-
Jorge Zepeda
as Rodolfo RamÃrez, Rodolfo Ramírez, Rodol...
