Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- foreboding
- disturbing
- cerebral
- late night horror viewing
- independent horror marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the adaptation clever, well made, and psychologically provocative, while noting that its overwriting and pretension keep it from being fully satisfying.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Stephen, Quaid, and Cheryl interview subjects about their deepest fears while the project gradually becomes dangerous.
Stephen’s avoidance of driving follows his brother’s death, while Quaid is shaped by recurring nightmares about his parents.
Critics specifically noted the film’s standout set pieces and menacing music despite its low budget.
Quaid proposes the fear study, but his outburst and destructive behavior force Stephen to reconsider the project’s purpose.
Films like Dread, and why
The Collector
shared psychological horror, escalating dread, and intimate character-driven terror
Martyrs
shared college-age protagonists, sadistic violence, and morally corrosive experimentation
The Machinist
shared cerebral horror premise, unreliable perceptions, and disturbing fear imagery
The Cell
shared anthology-like fear examination, captivity, and bleak psychological intensity
Movie Details
- Director
- Anthony DiBlasi
- Release Date
- 2009-07-14
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (269)
Cast
- Jackson Rathbone
- Shaun Evans
- Hanne Steen
- Laura Donnelly
- Jonathan Readwin
- Vivian Gray
- Carl McCrystal
- Steven Clarke
- Adam Davenport
- Elissa Dowling
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Dread about?
- A college fear experiment becomes a psychologically brutal descent into trauma, manipulation, and sadistic terror.
- What is Dread like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dread as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Dread violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Dread as graphic.
- What did critics think of Dread?
- Critics generally found the adaptation clever, well made, and psychologically provocative, while noting that its overwriting and pretension keep it from being fully satisfying.
- Which films are like Dread?
- Films with a similar feel include The Collector, Martyrs, The Machinist, and The Cell.
- How long is Dread?
- Dread runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dread?
- In United States, Dread streams on MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel.
