Nightmare

R

Released Apr 4, 1981

1h 37m

Horror

List

43%

7 Reviews

Tomatometer

43%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

A drug-treated schizophrenic (Baird Stafford) plagued by horrible nightmares escapes from the hospital and goes on a killing spree.

Read More

Read Less

Prime Video

Rent Nightmare on Prime Video, or buy it on Prime Video.

Janet Maslin

New York Times

"Nightmare'' is the perfunctory work of Romano Scavolini, a writer-director whose best idea here is to repeat the same gory flashback footage over and over again.

Aug 30, 2004

Full Review

Keri O'Shea

Warped Perspective

It’s an undoubtedly OTT, gory and profoundly mean-spirited vision; unlike many of its peers, swept onto the video nasties lists for still mystifying reasons, Nightmare is, at least, a genuinely nasty video.

Mar 12, 2024

Full Review

Daniel Goodwin

Starburst

[Nightmare] is an unheeded cult b-movie gem that has stood the test of time and should strike a chord enough to resonate with even the most desensitised horror fans.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 9, 2024

Full Review

Anton Bitel

Projected Figures

Romano Scavolini’s disorienting, gory psychokiller giallo puts us in the mind of a paranoid schizophrenic

Jan 12, 2024

Full Review

Alan Jones

Starburst

This is a piece of junk whichever way you look at it.

Jul 29, 2022

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

This was the early '80s, man, when horror directors had no limits, no morals, no shame.

Rated: C-

Jun 3, 2006

Full Review

Read all reviews

Alexander K

If you are into sleazy slashers like Maniac and New York Ripper, this one might just do it for you! Lovely that it's available on UHD.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/10/24

Full Review

Mr P

So much nasty slasher goodness. Must see

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is totally the spirit of the good slashers. It has plenty of horror, a demented madman and no reason.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

tasos l

It's kinda strange, i hadn't watched it at all in the past..

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This dude is in a mental hospital being treated for homicidal rages brought on by graphic and horrific nightmares. For some reason he gets a day pass (??), and after wandering around Times Square for a while, he takes off for Florida, killing several people along the way. He stalks a particular family in Florida who have some issues of their own leading to a bloody climax. The first half hour of this film is so damn good that it pains me to say that the last hour is really not that good at all. Baird Stafford is, among other things, ab amazing screamer, and his unhinged performance is one of the highlights of the film. The strange, gory nightmares and the amazing footage of Times Square sets up a super promising film that descends into a ton of dull and static nonsense in the 2nd half. Still, if you are looking for violence and sleaze, this film will not disappoint ... not at all. It all builds to a climax full of revelations that manage to be both extremely predictable and completely nonsensical at the same time. There's a feat.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Most video nasty movies aren't very good so if you're on a marathon you'll be happy when you get to Nightmare. A good, sleazy horror movie that borrows from all the right horror of the 70's. Not the best, but impressive for a nasty.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Romano Scavolini

Director

Baird Stafford

George Tatum

Sharon Smith

Susan Temper

C.J. Cooke

C.J. Temper

Mike Cribben

Bob Rosen

Kathleen Ferguson

Barbara

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

View more photos

Synopsis

A drug-treated schizophrenic (Baird Stafford) plagued by horrible nightmares escapes from the hospital and goes on a killing spree.

Director: Romano Scavolini
Production Co: Goldmine Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 4, 1981, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 12, 2017
Runtime: 1h 37m

Most Popular at Home Now