Dreams in Nightmares

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Dreams in Nightmares

In Theaters Aug 21

2h 8m

Drama

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11 Reviews

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With their second film, Shatara Michelle Ford (Test Pattern) puts their singular stamp on the American road movie. Dreams in Nightmares, which stars Denée Benton (The Gilded Age) and Jasmin Savoy Brown (Yellowjackets, Scream 7) follows a group of queer friends in their mid-30s navigating love, identity, and belonging across America. Anchored in themes of chosen family and self-discovery, the film blends humor and emotional depth against the backdrop of a journey through the Midwest and beyond. Dreams in Nightmares is an expansive and tender ode to the chosen family and to the radical act of claiming space to dream--and to exist--in an increasingly fraught country.

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In Theaters Aug 21

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Shatara Michelle Ford

Director

Denée Benton

Actor

Mars Rucker

Actor

Dezi Bing

Lauren

Sasha Compère

Tasha

Charlie Barnett

Reece

Murtada Elfadl

Variety

08/06/2024

The film’s humane writing is amplified by Ludovica Isidori’s glowing camerawork, while Ford’s filmmaking is a step up from their debut “Test Pattern.” The canvas is bigger, the rhythm slower yet more confident.

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Kate Erbland

IndieWire

08/02/2024

A-

A nifty new spin on the American road trip movie, one that functions both as an intimate exploration of identity and a rallying cry for a new kind of world.

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Lovia Gyarkye

The Hollywood Reporter

08/02/2024

With Dreams in Nightmares, Ford extends an exciting invitation: Get lost in my vision, open your imagination. The chemistry among the performers makes it an easy one to accept.

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Sean Boelman

FandomWire

2d

9/10

If Test Pattern heralded the arrival of a new talent, Dreams in Nightmares cements Shatara Michelle Ford as one of the most important voices in this generation’s revolution in queer filmmaking.

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Joseph Robinson

Fish Jelly Films (YouTube)

3d

4/5

Ford crafts a touching examination of the struggle between who we are and who others want us to be.

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Avi Offer

NYC Movie Guru

6d

A mesmerizing, poetic, profound and meditative emotional journey that's unafraid to be unconventional. Patient audience members will be rewarded with an experience that's engrossing, provocative and even somewhat haunting.

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Synopsis

With their second film, Shatara Michelle Ford (Test Pattern) puts their singular stamp on the American road movie. Dreams in Nightmares, which stars Denée Benton (The Gilded Age) and Jasmin Savoy Brown (Yellowjackets, Scream 7) follows a group of queer friends in their mid-30s navigating love, identity, and belonging across America. Anchored in themes of chosen family and self-discovery, the film blends humor and emotional depth against the backdrop of a journey through the Midwest and beyond. Dreams in Nightmares is an expansive and tender ode to the chosen family and to the radical act of claiming space to dream--and to exist--in an increasingly fraught country.

Director: Shatara Michelle Ford
Producer: Pin-Chun Liu, Shatara Michelle Ford, Naima Abed, Adam Wyatt Tate, Josh Peters, Robina Riccitiello, Ben Stillman, Ana Leocha, Tyler Bagley, Chris Quintos Cathcart
Screenwriter: Shatara Michelle Ford
Distributor: Lunette Films
Production Co: 120E Films, It Was Written, Spark Features, Paradise City
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 21, 2026, Limited
Runtime: 2h 8m

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