Could you stay awake for 24 hours? Very likely. A week? Not a chance. One month? There’s no way in hell.

The Sleep Experiment, the latest film from Irish writer-director John Farrelly (Choice), gruesomely illustrates exactly what happens to human beings when they’re deprived of sleep for long periods of time. Based on the legendary “Russian Sleep Experiment” internet urban legend or creepypasta, the film follows five prisoners (Rob James Capel, Will Murphy, Tom Kerrisk, Barry John Kinsella and Will Murphy) who agree to take part in a twisted scientific study in exchange for their freedom.

In the spirit of small, contained sci-fi movies like Cube and Cloverfield Lane, The Sleep Experiment is both a creepy character study of men pushed to the brink and an entertaining adaptation of one of the internet’s most well known and well shared legends. Who said scary movie season ended after Halloween? The Sleep Experiment is available on VOD on November 1.

The Sleep Experiment trailer:

The Sleep Experiment – Green Band Trailer from Indiecan Entertainment on Vimeo.

The Sleep Experiment synopsis:

Two detectives begin an investigation on the ethics involved in the top-secret research facility, Porton Down. One experiment, in particular, stands out to them as the most horrific, The Sleep Experiment, a scientific experiment that took place during the Cold War. The experiment consisted of five prisoners, deemed Enemies of the State, being locked in a sealed gas chamber. An airborne stimulant was continually administered to keep the subjects awake for 30 consecutive days. The prisoners were falsely promised that they would be set free from the prison if they completed the experiment.

The Sleep Experiment is available on digital and cable platforms, including iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, iNDemand and DISH, starting November 1st.

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