Sleepless - Vinegar Syndrome (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 2001
Director: Dario Argento
Writers: Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini
Cast: Max von Sydow, Stefano Dionisi, Chiara Caselli, Roberto Zibetti, Gabriele Lavia, Paolo Maria Scalondro

Release Date: October 21st, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 117 Minutes 15 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 Italian, DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $64.98

"A series of grisly murders are taking place across the Italian city of Turin, prompting the authorities to fear that a copycat killer is on the loose and emulating a gruesome spree that occurred seventeen years prior. Those murders were pinned on a writer with dwarfism by the name of Vincenzo de Fabritiis, who subsequently passed away, effectively closing the case. Now, Detective Ulisse Moretti, who led the original investigation, finds himself drawn out of retirement, and, together with the young Giacomo Gallo—whose mother was a victim of the supposed “Dwarf Killer”—attempts to unravel the mystery of these new slayings as the mutilated corpses continue to pile up." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD, Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative."

Sleepless comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 84.3 GB

Feature: 83.5 GB

From a mediocre DVD from Artisan Entertainment to this new release from Vinger Syndrome, Sleepless is an evolution of home media that has been rough. That said, this new release from Vinger Syndrome finally gives Sleepless the release it always deserved. The source looks exceptional; flesh tones look correct, colors look vibrant and are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Sleepless comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.8 GB

Feature: 31.9 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 Italian, DTS-HD 5.1 English)

This release comes with two audio options: a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Italian and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. Both audio tracks sound excellent. Dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well represented, and the score sounds appropriately robust. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track, removable English SDH for the English language track, and an English subtitle track for text that's in Italian when watching with the English language track.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an archival audio commentary with film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include an archival interview with actor Gabriele Lavia titled Killed Three Times (12 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with production designer Antonello Geleng titled Blood on the Tracks (15 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with screenwriter Franco Ferrini titled The Cop and the Parrot (11 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Paolo Maria Scalondro titled Don't Go to Sleep (17 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Dario Argento titled He Never Sleeps (18 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with special effects artist Sergio Stivaletti titled Bloodwork (19 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with composer Claudio Simonetti titled One Last Score (21 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with editor Anna Napoli titled The Invisible Work (25 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Roberto Zibetti titled Behind the Smile (21 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Stefano Dionisi titled The One Who Saw (9 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Chiara Caselli titled Still Awake (15 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an archival audio commentary with Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth.

Other extras include reversible cover art and a spot gloss slipcover (limited to 8,000 units).

Summary:

After the failure of The Phantom of the Opera, many critics and fans of Dario Argento thought that the maestro had lost it. His more violent and technically dazzling era, which includes the films from Deep Red to Opera, feels like a distant memory. That said, with Nonhosonno, known outside of Italy as Sleepless, Dario Argento would return to the Giallo genre for the first time since Opera and deliver what’s arguably his last classic film.

Besides revisiting themes and elements from his most celebrated films, Sleepless would see Dario Argento reunite with Goblin, who previously collaborated with Dario Argento on his most celebrated films, Deep Red and Suspiria. With Sleepless Goblin, they deliver another symphonic masterpiece that’s anchored by an earworm main theme that instantly draws you in. Needless to say, Dario Argento and Goblin are a magical combination.

Content-wise, Sleepless has all the elements that have become synonymous with Giallo cinema. While the plot may tread familiar territory, Dario Argento transforms it into a film brimming with bravado and energy. The murder set pieces are inventive, at times brutal, and sufficiently gory. And when it comes to concealing the killers’ identities, Sleepless is one of Dario Argento’s most deceptive films.

Sleepless is a rare exception of a Dario Argento film that doesn’t have a strong female character; the two main protagonists are male. The cast are excellent in their roles, particularly Max von Sydow (The Virgin Spring), who plays a retired detective named Moretti. He delivers another superb performance that’s a joy to watch. Another performance of note is Stefano Dionisi in the role of Giacomo, a man who saw his mother’s death when he was a boy. Moretti and Giacomo are an odd pair, even by Dario Argento's standards. Ultimately, I really enjoyed the way these two characters interacted with each other.

Dario Argento is a filmmaker whose films have gained admiration over time. Sleepless, like so many Dario Argento films, was not initially well received. The primary criticism of Sleepless is that it merely revisits Dario Argento’s greatest hits. However, in this reviewer’s opinion, Sleepless transcends the notion of a filmmaker resting on his laurels by merely reliving his most memorable moments. Sleepless is a film that was clearly made by a filmmaker at the top of their game.

That said, I do have a minor complaint about Sleepless. At times, the middle section of the film drags, and it pales in comparison to the stunning, blood-soaked train murder set piece that opens the film. Fortunately, things pick up considerably by the last act, especially in those last fifteen minutes. Ultimately, Sleepless is a prime example of Dario Argento's best work, and since its release, he has yet to create a film that surpasses it.

Sleepless gets an exceptional release from Vinegar Syndrome that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras. Highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer