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The Nightmare

Play trailer Poster for The Nightmare 2015 1h 30m Documentary Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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67% Tomatometer 61 Reviews 43% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Eight people experience sleep paralysis, a condition which leaves them unable to move, speak or react.
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The Nightmare

The Nightmare

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Critics Consensus

Part documentary, part thriller, The Nightmare works just well enough in both respects to deliver a uniquely disturbing viewing experience.

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Critics Reviews

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Adam Nayman The Walrus Few non-fiction films pack the affective punch of The Nightmare, which seeks to turn viewers into mirror images of its terror-stricken subjects. Feb 29, 2016 Full Review Mark Kermode Observer (UK) Watching this overegged hybrid docu-horror investigation of sleep paralysis, I found myself fighting the urge to snooze. Rated: 2/5 Oct 11, 2015 Full Review David Jenkins Little White Lies Ascher should be making actual horror movies. Rated: 3/5 Oct 8, 2015 Full Review Jorge Ignacio Castillo The Canadian Crew The Nightmare is undeniably entertaining, but it's just empty calories. Rated: 2/5 Jan 30, 2020 Full Review Joey Keogh Wicked Horror The Nightmare is momentarily diverting... But it feels over-long, it doesn't have much to say in spite of the admittedly interesting subject matter, and it's unlikely non-horror fans are going to find it particularly scary. Rated: 4/10 Oct 2, 2019 Full Review C.J. Prince Way Too Indie The Nightmare obviously wants to scare people, and even though Ascher can be hit or miss on the recreations, he does have a good share of unnerving moments courtesy of his subjects. Rated: 7/10 Jun 3, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Alec B It's interesting and scary but only at surface level. I get why Ascher avoided using an experts as interview subjects but it also makes me wonder what the point is here . . . even just a few minutes of expository dialogue could help give some context. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/13/23 Full Review Gareth v Neither a horror story or an enlightening doco, this feature comes across as a confused mess. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 06/22/23 Full Review Audience Member I loved this movie because I've encountered sleep paralysis before. If you're watching to get scared, this isn't the one but if you want to learn about a world rarely discussed, you've found it. Don't try to compare to Insidious, it's not at that level. Aside from the silly shadow men and alien figures, it did great at explaining what people who suffer from or have experienced this go thru. Maybe more people will be compassionate when kids have them. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member I've experienced sleep paralysis with hypnagogic hallucinations and I can't think of anything in my life that was more terrifying. I truly hope if you haven't been through this, you never will. This movie is a vivid depiction of the perfect storm nightmares are made of. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Top notch directing and atmosphere, but the scares sadly become repetitive and the characters at times do less justice than they could. 6.4/10 Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member The production value is pretty good, about the same as high-end ghost encounter re-enactment TV. This takes it a step further with a sleep paralysis diagnosis. They should've explored the mass hallucination passed seemingly by suggestion between girlfriend and boyfriend. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Nightmare

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Movie Info

Synopsis Eight people experience sleep paralysis, a condition which leaves them unable to move, speak or react.
Director
Rodney Ascher
Producer
Ross M. Dinerstein, Glen Zipper, Tim Kirk
Production Co
Campfire, Zipper Bros Films, New City Road, Highland Park Classics
Genre
Documentary, Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 1, 2016
Runtime
1h 30m
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