Sleeping Beauty is a provocative Australian drama film written and directed by Julia Leigh, marking her directorial debut. The film stars Emily Browning as Lucy, a university student who becomes involved in a mysterious and unsettling world of high-end eroticism.
Struggling to make ends meet, Lucy takes on a series of odd jobs, eventually finding herself drawn into a secretive and exclusive organization. There, she agrees to be sedated and lie unconscious while wealthy clients spend time with her passive, sleeping body—without any sexual penetration. The arrangement is governed by strict rules, but the emotional and psychological toll begins to unravel Lucy’s sense of identity and control.
This haunting and visually stylized film explores themes of objectification, anonymity, and the fine line between agency and exploitation. With its minimalist dialogue and unsettling tone, Sleeping Beauty challenges viewers to confront the uncomfortable boundaries of desire and commodification.
The film premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and drew both praise and controversy for its bold, dreamlike style and unsettling subject matter.
