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| (Image Source: ABS-CBN Entertainment) |
“Sleep With Me,” starring Janine Gutierrez and Lovi Poe, is the next girls’ love (GL) series that will tickle your fancy. All six episodes just dropped on iWantTFC and the series immediately became the top trending topic on Twitter in the Philippines. More than the genuine ‘kilig’ between the female leads, the series tackles the struggles of interabled queer individuals and how they navigate life in a society that makes them feel like outcasts. Lovi portrays Luna who suffers from a rare sleeping disorder while Janine plays Harry, an ever-lovely late-night radio DJ who uses a wheelchair.
The series, which recently won the audience award for best episodic at the LGBTQ+ film festival in Los Angeles, is also available for iWantTFC premium subscribers outside the Philippines and Indonesia and is directed by Samantha Lee, who is a proud member of the LGBT community herself. No matter how you identify, “Sleep With Me” is definitely a must-watch. Here’s why:
1. Beautiful love story between two girls
"Sleep With Me” can be classified as a GL (Girls' Love). However, as Direk Sam mentioned in a previous interview, it is a simple and tender love story between two individuals who just happen to be girls. The series does not overcomplicate the sexuality of Harry and Luna because they both know (and are 100% sure of themselves) that they are madly in love with one another. And even if they are both female, that isn’t a problem at all because as the saying goes – “love is love".
2. Represents persons with disabilities
The series also highlights the struggles (whether visual or not) of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs). In Luna’s case, her disorder isn’t visible as she’s been diagnosed with delayed sleep phase syndrome (no, it is not insomnia). Luna is awake during the wee hours of the night and falls asleep during the day which makes her feel isolated from the rest of the world. In contrast, Harry uses a wheelchair due to a past car accident. A lot of scenes highlight the lack of importance society gives to wheelchair users. However, it also gives us a different perspective on how NOT to feel sorry for them, as evident in one scene, wherein Harry tells a worried Luna “I’m not as fragile as I look.”
3. Lovi and Janine’s palpable chemistry
What happens when two gorgeous and alluring women play each other’s love interests? A major heart-fluttering ‘kilig’-fest. From Harry and Luna’s enchanting meet-cute, to their impromptu “date", their intimate first night and all the awkward yet extremely cute exchanges in between, their delicate love and fondness for each other radiates through the screen and makes viewers’ hearts skip a beat.
4. Luna’s angst is relatable
Luna is a science textbook writer who carries a lot of emotional baggage stemming from her rare condition and lingering issues from her past relationship. She’s used to shutting herself out from everyone else in her twilight-lit bedroom and relies on a cup of ramen noodles and iced coffee on a nightly basis. Although she may seem stuck-up, in reality, she is just clouded by her deepest fears and is longing to be loved. That is why she found a friend in Wendy (Nour Hooshmand) who gives her wise, unsolicited advice and is willing to listen on the rare times Luna opens up to her.
5. Harry’s sweet disposition lightens up the mood
Unlike Luna, Harry is confident, a go-getter, and is the complete opposite of “torpe", after all, she was the one who made the first move. Harry is Luna’s ray of sunshine and comes up with top-notch punchlines to reassure Luna of her love and make her feel secure. “Gawa tayo ng mundo na para sa ating dalawa lang” and “starting today, ako na ‘yung magwo-worry sayo 24/7” are some of her best remarks.
6. Highlights a cute sibling bond
In addition to Harry and Luna’s love story, the series explores the familial bond between Harry and her gay brother Kai (Kerwin King) as well as Luna and her younger sister Lia (Reign Parani). Harry and Kai are queer siblings who bring out the best in each other. Meanwhile, Luna is somewhat able to let her guard down whenever she talks to Lia who lives in another country.
Stream all six episodes of “Sleep With Me” for free on the iWantTFC app (iOs and Android) and website (iwanttfc.com). Viewers can get easy access to iWantTFC’s content library with its “watch now, no registration needed” feature. Watch iWantTFC on a larger screen with select devices including VEWD, ROKU, and Amazon Fire streaming devices, Android TV, select Samsung Smart TV models, Telstra TV (in Australia), and VIDAA in select countries.
