Shut Eye

Twenty-something Sierra lives in Auckland alone, working in the most thankless job of street charity fundraiser which demands a vivid personality beyond her reserved demeanor. It doesn’t help that she has trouble sleeping, and after being forced to look for help, a doctor recommends that she investigate sound therapy, specifically autonomous sensory meridian response or ASMR. Exploring online, Sierra discovers local ASMR streamer Kate who soon becomes her virtual evening companion whenever she needs help getting to sleep. Before long, Sierra starts to see Kate as an escape from her lonely existence and the traumas that haunt her – their connection starts to move offline. As Sierra is drawn deeper into Kate’s life her obsession grows increasingly physical, and when faced with losing Kate to a competing lover an act of desperation threatens to change Sierra’s life forever.