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A Nightmare Wakes

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A Nightmare Wakes

2020

1h 30m

Mystery & Thriller

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

55%

Tomatometer

33 Reviews

43%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

A psychological thriller about Mary, a young writer whose story comes to life in horrifyingly vivid hallucinations, causing her to question the people she loves and the reality around her.

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Critics Consensus

A Nightmare Wakes revisits the creation of a classic story from an admirably novel perspective; unfortunately, it never quite lumbers to life.

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

Unlike Frankenstein's monster, this one never comes alive.

Rated: 1.5/4

Feb 4, 2021

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

It's a dry and somewhat lifeless tableau.

Rated: 2/5

Feb 2, 2021

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Bee Delores

B-Sides & Badlands

Emotional punches, largely at the hands of Alix Wilton Regan as Mary Shelley, keep the viewer jolted awake, even if the story itself falls into a drowsy stupor.

Rated: 2.5/5

Jul 3, 2024

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Christopher Cross

Tilt Magazine

Achingly painful, A Nightmare Wakes is a must-watch for those looking for a horror film that is refreshing and innovative.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 10, 2022

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Nicolás Delgadillo

Knotfest

May be full of spine-chilling dreams and the odd jump scare, but its real scares come from the psychological downward spiral that we watch Mary go through.

Rated: 3 / 5

Jun 26, 2021

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Dan Stubbs

NME (New Musical Express)

Good times are few and far between as Lord Byron invites his pals to the literary equivalent of Camp Arawak...

Rated: 1/5

May 18, 2021

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Audience Member

Acting was fine . Story was very wishy washy and if were being honest kinda boring . There wasn’t much going on even if you can figure it out . 2.1

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/25/21

Full Review

Audience Member

A Nightmare Wakes is one of the most boring films I’ve seen in a while. The pacing is so slow. It’s only and hour and half but it feels like three. The acting is subpar, and the writing isn’t better. The film tries to combine historical drama and horror but fails miserably. All the horror elements feel tacked on, and seem to insult Mary Shelley’s legacy. And I already said before how boring the drama was. The film also doesn’t feel coherent. It feels like a string of scenes then a cohesive film. Overall, this was awful. The more I think about this the more I dislike it. I can’t wait to forget about this.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/04/21

Full Review

Audience Member

Boring and badly acted with RIDICULOUS casting. Sorry but pandering at its worst. Insulting to minorities and to the actual authors themselves to have black and Asian people cast to play them. Why not cast Nicole kiddman to play maya Angelou? No? Why not? You felt fine about recasting the ethical background of lord Byron and Percy Shelley so it's fine right? Get it together Hollywood.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

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Audience Member

Ms. Regan steals the show in this compelling and unique tale, which also nails the art of mood and atmosphere. Recommend!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

Wow! What a wonderful interpretation of Shelley and Frankenstein! Exquisite. Can't wait to watch it again!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Audience Member

Through beautiful imagery, good writing, and strong performances this film truly captures the strength and humanity of Mary Shelley as she processes the horrors she had to endure through her writing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

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Nora Unkel

Director

Alix Wilton Regan

Mary Shelley

Giullian Yao Gioiello

Percy Shelley

Philippe Bowgen

Lord Byron

Claire Glassford

Claire Clairmont

Lee Garrett

Dr. John Polidori

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Synopsis

A psychological thriller about Mary, a young writer whose story comes to life in horrifyingly vivid hallucinations, causing her to question the people she loves and the reality around her.

Director: Nora Unkel
Screenwriter: Nora Unkel
Production Co: The Spitting Image, Future Proof Films, Wild Obscura Films, Eggplant Picture & Sound
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 4, 2021
Runtime: 1h 30m

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