Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Black Sleep’

Written by Scott Edwards

One thing that never seems to sit right with doctors is the fact that they cannot save all of their patients. Even with a simple diagnosis or surgery, things can go wrong leaving them dumbfounded as to why everything did not go according to plan. Someone once said, ‘When it’s time to go, it’s time to go’ and that is something that many people will never accept, but there is a bit of truth hiding in it. Some people cannot be saved no matter what is done for them, but it is not a bad thing, it is just a part of life.
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Doctor Gordon Ramsay is waiting to be hanged for his crime of killing one of his patients when an unfamiliar visitor comes to see him. Doctor Joel Cadman knows that nothing that Ramsay did caused his patient to die and wants to offer him a chance to continue living, but it comes with a condition. Wanting Ramsay’s help in his research, Cadman can make him disappear from the world, but he must bring his all to the operating table. With no other option, Ramsay agrees and is given 'The Black Sleep' which makes him appear to be dead, but in reality, he is in suspended animation. 

Being delivered to Dr. Cadman, Ramsay is blown away that he is still alive after experiencing The Black Sleep. Getting his feet back under him, Ramsay hears a scream from inside the house and sees young Laurie running for her life from the grotesque Mungo who is trying to kill her. Calling the psycho man away, nurse Daphne has the power to keep him at bay and while Ramsay has no idea what he is in for, he quickly finds out that the brain is what Cadman is interested in. Being shown what different parts of the brain are responsible for, Cadman reveals he wants to map the entire human brain which has never been done before and he is well on his way to accomplishing his goal. Showing his methods to the younger doctor, Ramsay is frightened when he finds out that the dead people being experimented on are actually alive and under the influence of The Black Sleep. Losing the moral battle to the crazy doctor, Ramsay finds out what happens to the patients that never leave the house and with Laurie by his side, there may be only one way to escape.
 
I really love older horror movies for two reasons, one, the stories are so good and the morals in them withstand the test of time, two, well I have to say it, the women’s screams in these movies will haunt your dreams. One of the things that this movie does is pull in another story when you find out that Mungo is actually Dr. Monroe who was doing his own experiments on an island somewhere. As Cadman tries to work his magic, he changes the poor doctor into the monster he is today and while it is sad, you have a hard time feeling that what when he is trying to kill Laurie the entire movie. Getting to see all of the patients that Cadman experimented on is the most eye-opening moment of the movie, since there are many more than expected. Seeing what can happen when you go out of your way to better your life while destroying the lives of others, well, you might want to get a handle on that. Stay Scared.

Five Takeaways

1. If you're given an offer for more life with conditions, you might want to know what those conditions really are before you take it.
2. If you see a monster roaming the hallways at night, it is safer to stay in your room.
3. Gypsies are sneaky and if you ever need a body, they are the ones to talk to…as long as you have money.
4. When you are working with a doctor that destroys one of the greatest/craziest medical minds around, you are expendable.
5. When lying to the cops about knowing someone, make sure your friend leaves after the police do.

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