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Before I Go to Sleep

Before I Go to Sleep

Who do you trust?

201492 minRMidcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Director
Rowan Joffe
Starring
Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Ben Crompton

A woman wakes up every day, remembering nothing as a result of a traumatic accident in her past. One day, new terrifying truths emerge that force her to question everyone around her.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Before I Go to Sleep?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Before I Go to Sleep streaming on Pluto TV (free), Prime Video and Shout! TV via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Before I Go to Sleep?

Before I Go to Sleep earns 6 badges, led by Guilty pleasure and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Before I Go to Sleep worth watching?

Before I Go to Sleep's Midcredits score is the 50th percentile of all films, from 163K ratings across 6 sources. 50% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

50th percentile

Better received than 50% of films

49th percentile among Drama51st percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)48th
Approval (how many liked it)52nd

61 /100

48th percentile of all films

46th percentile among Drama48th percentile among 2010s

Critics 41 · Audience 62

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.5 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

50% liked it

52nd percentile of all films

50th percentile among Drama52nd percentile among 2010s
50% rated it 7–1050% rated it 1–6

Critics 37% · Audience 40%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

98th percentile

163K ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Drama98th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 144% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$22M
Opening weekend$1.8M
Domestic gross$3.2M
Worldwide gross$18M

Returned 0.8× its budget — 89th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A psychological thriller about an amnesiac woman that relies heavily on its strong cast to paper over a flimsy, conventional plot.

Fans praised

  • strong lead performances cast keeps you guessing
  • effective Hitchcockian thriller with taut pacing and atmosphere
  • emotional core explores trust, memory, and marriage

Detractors panned

  • implausible premise with laughable plot holes
  • one-dimensional characters and predictable reveals
  • fails to build sustained tension or deliver a satisfying payoff

What stands out

ActingDivisive77

Nicole Kidman's vulnerable performance anchors the film; Colin Firth and Mark Strong add ambiguity and menace

AtmosphereDivisive65

effectively chilly and paranoid, but sometimes sterile or dry

PacingDivisive58

taut and fast-paced early on, but sags in the middle and rushes the climax

TensionDivisive55

effective early ambiguity and doubt, but dissipates after the twist

Characters40

supporting roles feel one-dimensional, lack depth or realistic motivation

EndingDivisive40

conventional, anti-climactic, and emotionally unsatisfying for many

Plot and storyDivisive35

premise requires extreme suspension of disbelief; riddled with logical holes and contrivances

Originality25

heavily derivative of Memento, Total Recall, and 50 First Dates

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 12 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 4 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 9 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Before I Go to Sleep like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you can only half-watch or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and patience.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadTenseCold
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.Brutal · 7% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its material straight, treating Christine's condition and the domestic mystery with earnest gravity.
The rideA sustained sense of unease builds through Christine's disorientation, reaching its highest pressure as the truth closes in.
StructureThe story follows a linear three-act progression with Christine's video diary used as a framing device to recap discoveries, without nonlinear tricks.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

The answer rests on this: Haunting · 14% of filmsUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's revelations linger as an unsettling meditation on trust and identity.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MysteryEnigma
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2% (this title)
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Enigma: The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).

7% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeChristine's daily memory loss creates a central enigma about her past and her husband's trustworthiness, with the plot structured around uncovering hidden truths.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% (this title) · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsDeception · 9% of filmsTrauma · 7% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how a fragmented memory challenges a sense of self and exposes the lies that surround her.
StanceThe film questions how memory defines identity and whether trust can be rebuilt when the past is unknown.

The world

ContemporaryDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Edward Shearmur
SettingA suburban house and a clinic in present-day London
MusicThe score uses tense strings and sparse piano to mirror Christine's disorientation.

Content guide

Is Before I Go to Sleep okay for kids?

R

Before I Go to Sleep is rated R: “Rated R for some brutal violence and language” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (64/100), sexual content at moderate (48/100), language at moderate (45/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (15/100) and frightening material at intense (69/100). Overall it is heavier than 29% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 18 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA15+
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • Ireland15A
  • JapanR18+
  • South Korea18
  • Brazil14
  • Austria12
  • BGC
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • GreeceΚ-15
  • Hungary16
  • LTN-16
  • PortugalM/14
  • Russia16+
  • Spain16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 55% of all filmsHeavier than 29% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 42%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 50%
Profanity
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 17%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 5%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 62%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material and violence. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Before I Go to Sleep have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Before I Go to Sleep?

Cast

2 of the 9 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Nicole Kidman
as Christine
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Colin Firth
as Ben
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Mark Strong
as Dr. Nasch
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ben Crompton
as Warehouse Caretaker
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Anne-Marie Duff
as Claire
Adam Levy
as Ben
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Gabriel Strong
as Boy on Bike
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Flynn MacArthur
as Boy in Dream
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Dean-Charles Chapman
as Adam
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Before I Go to Sleep?

Movies like Before I Go to Sleep include The Broken (2008), Following (1998) and Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965). Of the 12 closest matches, most are psychological thrillers, and half are films set in London.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its story type: enigma. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Before I Go to Sleep?

5.8K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: psychological thriller. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.