Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Docu about sleepwalking murder case has bloody violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Dead Asleep
What's the Story?
In DEAD ASLEEP, young addict and alcoholic Randy Herman calls 911 one morning and confesses to murdering his roommate and close friend Brooke Preston. From that moment on, two mysteries dominate: Under what circumstances did the attack take place, and why did he kill her? Using footage from his police interrogation, interviews with friends, family, and Herman himself, director Skye Borgman pieces together a puzzling narrative and poses nagging questions that eventually fall to a jury to sort out. We learn that Preston was a lively and attractive go-getter in her 20s originally from small-town Pennsylvania. She and her sister had moved to West Palm Beach, FL for new opportunities. Soon after, Herman followed, struggling with his alcoholism, addiction, and a dead-end job. The three friends got on well as roommates, but there was heavy drinking and the possibility that Herman nursed a crush on Brooke that would eventually result in the brutal murder. His public defenders settle on the unusual and infrequently used sleepwalking defense, with warring expert witnesses debating whether his documented sleepwalking habit made it possible for him to savagely attack someone without knowing it or having any memory of it.
Is It Any Good?
This documentary may interest adult true-crime fans, but is unlikely to appeal to kids. The question of whether a sleepwalking defense explains this murder is left unanswered, but more problematic is that on the journey to answering it, Dead Asleep often devolves into psych-speak and bland and unconvincing conclusions. Someone says of the victim, "with her strong family relationships, it's not surprising that she was liked by everybody," a dubious assumption at best, and certainly an oversimplification.
Director Borgman, who also directed Abducted in Plain Sight, a 2017 documentary about a 1970s kidnapping, lets her interviewees speak unfettered. While this captures the seemingly-honest thoughts of people involved in the case, some of the implausible ones go mostly unquestioned, giving this an overall tone set by some people who might not be the most astute thinkers out there.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether you believe the killer was awake and conscious or sleepwalking and unaware when he killed his friend and roommate. Why do you think this?
What parts of the defense's arguments did you find convincing?
Jury members speak of their deliberations. Does this make you want to be on a jury? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : December 16, 2021
- Director : Skye Borgman
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s)
- Studio : Hulu
- Genre : Documentary
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : December 13, 2021
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