| Laura Hasn't Slept | |
| Director: | Parker Finn |
| Cinematography: | Dan Clarke |
| Editing: | Tristan Borys |
| Music: | Rob Himebaugh |
| Distributor: | Paramount Home Entertainment |
| Runtime: | 11 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
Laura Hasn't Slept is a 2020 American short psychological supernatural horror film written, co-produced, and directed by Parker Finn. The film stars Caitlin Stasey and Lew Temple.
The short's success would later serve as inspiration for, and become a prequel to Finn's feature-length horror film Smile (2022), in which Stasey briefly reprised her role.[1] It was subsequently followed by a franchise of the same name.
While telling her therapist, Dr. Parsons, about a recurring nightmare in which a sinister man constantly smiles at her, Laura Weaver discovers that she is still experiencing the nightmare when Parsons morphs into a grotesque creature that wants to force Laura to look at it. Refusing to look, Laura runs out of the room but returns a few moments later when she believes the monster has gone; however, it suddenly appears in front of her, causing her to go insane and scream while ripping off her own face.
The film was screened at the SXSW Film Festival.[2] Following the success of Smile, it was released on YouTube in November 2022.[3]
Nightmarish Conjurings does "not recommend the film if you're having problems sleeping". Morbidly Beautiful scored it 4.5 out of 5.[4]