Before I Go to Sleep (film)

Before I Go to Sleep
Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	2014
Founder	Rowan Joffé (director and writer)
Area served	United Kingdom, United States, France, Sweden
Key people	Rowan Joffé (director, writer), Nicole Kidman (lead actress), Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Anne-Marie Duff
Products	Mystery psychological thriller film

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Before I Go to Sleep (film), available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 10 August 2025

Before I Go to Sleep is a 2014 mystery film and psychological thriller both written and directed by Rowan Joffé, adapted from the 2011 novel authored by S. J. Watson. This film is a collaborative international production involving the United Kingdom, United States, France, and Sweden. The cast features prominent actors including Nicole Kidman, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, and Anne-Marie Duff.

Plot

Christine Lucas regains consciousness beside a man claiming to be her husband, Ben, who explains that she endured significant brain injury in a car accident fourteen years prior, resulting in the loss of memories from her early twenties onward.

Her neuropsychologist, Mike Nasch, provides her with a camera to record her daily experiences and calls regularly to remind her to review these recordings, advising her to keep them secret from Ben. Nasch discloses that Christine’s amnesia followed an assault near an airport hotel, leading them to suspect that Ben’s story about the car crash may be fabricated to shield her.

Christine has faint recollections of a red-haired woman named Claire. Ben describes Claire as a former friend who distanced herself due to Christine’s condition. Additionally, Christine remembers having a son named Adam and confronts Ben about concealing him; Ben insists Adam passed away from meningitis at age eight. She begins to suspect that "Mike" might be her attacker and confides this to Nasch, who offers comfort but ultimately ends their sessions due to emotional involvement.

Christine discovers that Ben had previously placed her in assisted living and divorced her before bringing her back home. Claire had attempted to reach out to her during that period. Upon meeting Claire, Christine learns she had an affair before the attack, and that Ben and Claire shared a single encounter afterward, united by their mutual grief.

Claire presents Christine with a letter from Ben expressing his love but explaining he left for Adam’s benefit out of fear. When Christine shows these videos to Ben, he accuses her of infidelity with Nasch, assaults her physically, and departs. Later, Claire reveals that the genuine Ben has not seen Christine for years; they realize the man with her is an impostor. As Christine tries to flee, this "Ben" knocks her unconscious.

After waking up with no memory again, Christine watches footage on the camera showing she professed love for "Ben." He instructs her to prepare for a trip and warns Nasch to stay away. At a hotel near the site where she was found after the assault, "Ben" reveals his true identity as Mike—the man she had an affair with who attacked her following an argument about revealing the relationship to Ben. He deletes all her recordings and threatens that they must live together or else no one will survive. Christine manages to escape by activating the fire alarm and records her account while waiting for emergency services.

At the hospital, Nasch visits as a friend and informs Christine that Mike has been apprehended. The real Ben arrives accompanied by Adam—who is alive—and upon seeing her son, Christine’s memories begin to return.

Production

On 1 May 2011, Ridley Scott secured film rights for Before I Go to Sleep, the novel by S. J. Watson, appointing Rowan Joffé as both director and screenwriter. By February 2012, negotiations began with Nicole Kidman for the lead role; she officially signed on in May as Christine. On 31 October 2012, Mark Strong was added to the cast. Kidman expressed enthusiasm about collaborating again with Colin Firth, her co-star from The Railway Man, and by 6 February 2013, Firth was confirmed as part of the leading ensemble alongside Kidman.

Filming

Production took place in London as well as at Twickenham Studios.

Release

The movie debuted in the United Kingdom on 5 September 2014, followed by its United States release on 31 October 2014.

Home media

The DVD and Blu-ray editions became available on 27 January 2015.

Marketing

StudioCanal UK unveiled the initial trailer for the UK audience on 3 July 2014.

Critical reception

Reviews for the film were varied. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a rating based on multiple critiques, with an average score reflecting mixed opinions. The site’s consensus acknowledges it as "a stylish, fast-paced, and well-acted diversion," despite relying on familiar thriller tropes. Meanwhile, Metacritic assigned it a score of 41 out of 100 from 31 reviewers, categorizing the feedback as "mixed or average."

Several critics unfavorably likened the film to Memento, suggesting that what was once groundbreaking in Memento felt more like a contrived device here. The New Jersey Star-Ledger described the movie as "shallow" and "forgettable," while The Philadelphia Inquirer highlighted numerous plot inconsistencies and implausible elements.

Nicole Kidman’s portrayal received widespread acclaim. The Daily Star praised her "chilling performance as the frail but determined Christine," and the Daily Mirror noted she was "at her best" in a role demanding significant psychological depth.

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