Lee Sun-kyun wakes audience out of their 'Sleep'

What does an actor do when Cannes laureate maestro Bong Joon-ho asks him to feature in a film by said director's student? The actor says yes — and he gets invited to Cannes again.

Actor Lee Sun-kyun [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

What does an actor do when Cannes laureate maestro Bong Joon-ho asks him to feature in a film by said director's student? The actor says yes — and he gets invited to Cannes again.

Jason Yu's upcoming horror-slash-comedy-slash-family-drama film "Sleep" hits theaters on Sept. 6, the director’s first independent piece since working as an assistant director with "Parasite" (2019) director Bong on “Okja” (2017).

“Bong called me and urged me to work with Yu, which had a critical effect on me appearing in ‘Sleep,’” actor Lee Sun-kyun said during a group interview with local reporters at a cafe in Jung District, central Seoul, on Thursday. “Bong highly recommended Yu as a talented newcomer and he was absolutely right. This film showcases the talents of a new director whose work everybody should watch.”

Lee Sun-kyun plays Hyeon-soo, a newlywed husband who has horrendous sleeping habits that disrupt his married life in the upcoming film ″Sleep″ [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

Yu worked with Bong on Bong’s 2017 film “Okja,” and “Sleep” is his first film as a director in his own right. “Sleep” tells the story of a newlywed couple, played by Lee and Jung Yu-mi, who are challenged by Lee’s character Hyeon-soo’s sleeping habits — he talks, walks and destroys things during his sleep. The film was invited to the Critics’ Week section at this year’s Cannes International Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation after its screening.

“Yu was very economical in the way he directed ‘Sleep,’” said Lee. “Nothing was wasted and I think we used over 90 percent of the footage in the final cut of the film, which is extraordinary. It's safe to say that there was a very good reason Bong recommended him to me.” Lee previously appeared in Bong’s “Parasite.”

In “Sleep,” one of the things that Hyeon-soo does while sleeping is walk around the kitchen and chew on raw meat from the refrigerator, something that stands out from the array of surprising things he does while sleeping, which includes everything from simply walking around the house to trying to throw himself out the window. These scenes were filmed with actual raw meat by Lee, which shocked Jung and the other staff on set.

Lee Sun-kyun, right, and Jung Yu-mi play a couple facing troubles due to Lee's character Hyeon-soo's sleeping habits in upcoming film ″Sleep″ [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

“Those scenes were the most difficult to act during part one of the film,” Lee said. “But I wanted to try something surprising and the staff helped me by picking out very fresh and clean raw meat. It took us five to six takes to film, which is not very many takes, and I am proud of it.”

Regarding his character Hyeon-soo, who unwittingly causes havoc during his sleep that he is unaware of when he wakes up, Lee said that he tried to express at least a bit of remorse in his expressions to make up for Hyeon-soo’s cluelessness.

“It wasn’t in the script, but I wanted Hyeon-soo to appear sorry for what he is doing,” Lee explained. “If I were in his shoes I would have just packed up and left for a hotel, or sent my wife to her parents once I knew what was happening. It is also comical in a way how the couple tries so hard to be together despite the difficulties caused by Hyeon-soo’s sleeping habits.”

While “Sleep” may look like a thriller on the surface, the film is also a black comedy and a family drama, blending these genres effectively and scaring, entertaining and moving the audience, according to Lee. The film is a thriller in that it has suspenseful elements, a comedy due to the laughter-inducing scenes in between and a drama because of the moving plotline between the two leads. It was this hybrid of genres that the film brought that drew Lee to the project in the first place.

Actor Lee Sun-kyun [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

“Of course, there was also the call from Bong, but the fact that ‘Sleep’ attempts to mix genres and its very strong script were also elements that sold me on the project,” Lee said. “I also liked the movie's open ending.”

Being able to attend Cannes for the first time with his family for “Sleep” was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the actor. His young sons were horrified by the film's scary portions but enjoyed their time at the festival, Lee said.

“We did not get to meet a lot of audience members at Cannes because we were invited to the Critics’ Week section, but it was a great experience for the family,” he added. “I think it was a gift to my kids that they got to dress up in tuxedos and attend a premiere at a festival like Cannes. I am grateful for the opportunity and to have worked in a film like ‘Sleep.’ I hope audiences will like it as much as I am proud of having acted in it.”

A scene from ″Sleep″ [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]