Sleep Dealer (2008)

The near future. Like tomorrow. In a world marked by closed borders, corporate warriors, and a global computer network, three strangers risk their lives to connect, break through the barriers of technology, and unseal their fates.

Director:

Alex Rivera

Writers:

Alex Rivera (screenplay), David Riker (screenplay)

Stars:

Luis Fernando Peña, Leonor Varela, Jacob Vargas

5 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Luis Fernando Peña	...	Memo Cruz
Metztli Adamina	...	Dolores Cruz
José Concepción Macías	...	Miguel Cruz
Tenoch Huerta	...	David Cruz
Gregg Lucas	...	Drones TV Host
Martín Palomares	...	Gus Panchano
Jacob Vargas	...	Rudy Ramirez
Sean Garnhart	...	Rudy's Commander (voice)
Guillermo Ríos	...	Rudy's Supervisor
Leonor Varela	...	Luz Martínez
Montserrat Revah	...	Luz's Computer (voice)
Miguel A. Saldaña	...	Coyotek #1 (as Miguel Angel Saldaña)
Sergio Limon	...	Coyotek #2
José Luis Méndez	...	Coyotek #3
Carlos Valencia	...	Twiggy

Storyline

Set in a near-future, militarized world marked by closed borders, virtual labor and a global digital network that joins minds and experiences, three strangers risk their lives to connect with each other and break the barriers of technology.

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Plot Keywords:

network | future | computer | wilhelm scream | mexican immigrant | 

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Taglines:

Plug into the new American dream.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA Mexico

Language:

Spanish English

Release Date:

10 December 2008 (France)

Also Known As:

Podłącz się

Filming Locations:

Cadereyta, Querétaro, Mexico

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$35,050, 19 April 2009, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$75,727, 21 June 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

Likely Story,This Is That Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Wilhelm Scream - When man falls off of horse in the first sequence where Memo is watching TV (after "Are Your Nodes Dirty?")

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Goofs

When Memo, at work operating the robot, helps the worker next to him who collapses, he is not wearing the contact lenses that he needs to operate the robot. (He did not have time to take them out.)

User Reviews

Unusual Sci-Fi Drama

I liked the film and think it deserves more than a 6.2 so I gave it a high score to try and bump up it's overall score. It deserves about an 8. A really good film that tries to deal with the idea of a dehumanized black economy working for an ever increasingly fascistic USA. Some interesting idea's, some not so interesting. It definitely has a cyberpunk feel but being from Mexico it was always going to be different.

I am unsure of the budget but the film holds it's own and the sfx budget seems to have been spent wisely. The acting was good with the lead and support actors being enjoyable enough to watch. I also liked the score which was essentially Latin pop/dance.

The ending is a little unrealistic given the portrayed future realism of the rest of the film. A good film that is not the greatest sci-fi ever but deserves higher marks considering the obstacles the production team faced. A low budget, sci-fi drama from Mexico is not something you see everyday so it should be applauded.