Lucy (Emily Browning) is a university student drifting through a series of dead-end jobs—copy clerk, office temp, medical test subject. She answers an ad for a different kind of work: “Young, pretty girls for elegant, private gatherings.” Soon, she’s promoted to a more specific role. She drinks tea laced with something strong. She falls into a deep, dreamless sleep. Men pay to lie beside her, fully clothed, doing nothing—or nearly nothing. Waking is forbidden. Touch is regulated. Consent is signed away on a yellow legal pad.
This is where diverges from its source material. The original fairy tale’s curse is lifted by external love. Here, the curse is internal. Lucy’s curse is her own disassociation. She is not cursed by a witch; she is cursed by capitalism. -16 - Sleeping Beauty -2011-