Sleeping Beauty

A young university student, Lucy, finds herself drawn into a clandestine world of wealthy older men seeking companionship. She takes on a second life as a 'sleeping beauty' in a remote, luxurious room, where she is drugged and subjected to their desires while unconscious. As her two lives begin to blur, Lucy grapples with the ethical and emotional implications of her choices and the nature of intimacy.

Julia Leigh's directorial debut, "Sleeping Beauty," garnered a mixed to positive reception, noted for its provocative themes, striking visuals, and unsettling atmosphere. While some critics praised its bold exploration of female agency, objectification, and desire, others found its deliberate pacing and ambiguous narrative challenging and alienating. Emily Browning's performance was widely commended for its subtlety and depth.

• Praised for its audacious and thought-provoking exploration of taboo subjects.
• Noted for its visually arresting and dreamlike aesthetic.
• Criticized by some for its slow pace and opaque storytelling.

Google audience: Audience reviews suggest a division, with many appreciating the film's artistic ambition and challenging themes, while others found it too slow, disturbing, and lacking in clear narrative resolution.

Screened in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

Director Julia Leigh based the film's concept partly on her own experiences working in roles that involved detached observation, wanting to explore the idea of a woman's passivity in a sexual context.