The Edge of Sleep

This series does a great job of keeping you feeling just as on edge as the characters in it. It has a really interesting and unique take for an apocalypse horror/sci-fi show. It is not super scary (not very jumpscare-esque) but it does feel tense the whole time and has some gross and scary features.

Positives: Creative and interesting

Spooky and intense and disorienting (in a good way? I think it's purposeful)

Has a very catchy intro song

Negatives: Some plot holes if you over analyze.

Sometimes the jokes or comedy relief fall... short?

Sometimes the actors don't feel believable for a few scenes.

I was honestly amazed at how well done everything was, I had a few nitpicks here and there but overall I had an amazing time watching this and couldn't help but finish it all in one sitting. I loved the progression of the story although I did find the sudden jump cuts to be a little unnecessary at times, and the acting was genuine and heartfelt. There were also some visual effects that I thought were a bit wonky but it was mostly in the first episode and after that they really hit their stride and it was a beauty to watch. I wasn't expecting a whole lot from it but it took those expectations and shattered it while I look forward to a season 2.

I initially started the series because of The Plan. I had doubts that it would be the tone the trailer portrayed. Even though I'm a fan of Markiplier's YouTube, I wasn't convinced he could pull off a serious tone.

I've been convinced otherwise after (accidentally) finishing the series today. The series is genuinely intriguing.

The Linda and Matteo characters are performed very well and drive the audience onward into the story with their emotions. Scenes are sometimes off-put by whale imagery, which I assume is a metaphor, as this and similar aspects related to the unexplained "illness" are just that, unexplained (as of yet). However, the story is excellent and had me on the "edge" of my seat.

I was incredibly impressed with the way The Edge of Sleep came to be. This was an absolutely incredible experience of psychological horror to go through. It was a perfect depiction of combining the fiction of the story with the real effects of sleep deprivation.

My only complaint is there were a few moments where I felt the acting was just a little subpar and slightly forced, however all actors/actresses were perfect in depicting their character. There were also a few moments where parts of the story felt slightly rushed, however I guess that is just to fit the narrative of the podcast.

I look forward to a season 2 and would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who enjoys good psychological horror.

As a huge fan of Markiplier I went into this series with a lot of hesitation, since most youtuber made series aren't very good. I was especially hesitant because I saw that the reception on IMDb is straight 9's and 10's, which means that either this show is on the level of Breaking Bad and True Detective, or that it's being bombarded by Markiplier fan reviews. I think you can decide that for yourself. But I was still excited, since I've seen youtubers make good films before, like Talk to Me by RackaRacka (which has a 7.1 on IMDb, since people were actually being constructive towards it)

But I can't even lie at this point. Without Markiplier being the lead in the series, there would be no series.

Don't get me wrong, the concept is really interesting. There's some good practical effects, some nice looking shots, and some okay performances from the female supporting characters. This show is the type of show I like- a horror, trippy, post apocalyptic edge-of-your-seat thrill ride. But I can't just ignore how amateur the entire series is.

The main performances, the character writing, the editing, the sound design, the script is all very amateur. Like I understand what they're trying to convey with each moment, but it feels extremely forced and scripted, you are never able to actually suspend your disbelief enough to put yourself in the shoes of the characters.

The script is all over the place. One moment a character will be freaking out about how all their friends are dead, then they'll be cracking a one liner to their friend. As many people mentioned before, the script is inconsistent and important details are ignored or forgotten about from scene to scene. The editing is jarring and obviously not professional. The dialogue is cringe-inducing and super forced. The characters themselves are all one-dimensional and are insanely inconsistent with how they are feeling, to the point where it's hard to take it seriously.

It's not a bad show, like I said, there's some well-done aspects to it. I think if Markiplier wasn't the lead character, and they had a professional team to make the concept work, this could've been a 8/10, tense, mind-boggling show. Instead the potential of the interesting story is really bogged down by how amateur the show is. It's impossible to care about the events of the show or any of the characters when it's so forced and cringe-inducing.

I'm definitely interested in Markiplier's future films, especially his Iron Lung adaptation, but I really wish he, or his production team would work on getting more professional people to work with him. His concepts are amazing, but he deeply needs help executing them.