The Nightmare
Rodney Ascher turns firsthand accounts of sleep paralysis into a disturbing documentary nightmare where testimony and horror imagery feed each other.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- eerie
- paranoid
- disturbing
- late night viewing
- horror documentary marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the documentary-horror hybrid uniquely disturbing and visually inventive, though some felt it only grazed its subject and lacked expert medical depth.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Interviewees' accounts of sleep paralysis are paired with surreal bedtime recreations rather than conventional explanatory footage.
The film combines talking-head documentary material with thriller-like scare tactics and staged supernatural imagery.
Sleep paralysis, including sensed presences and frightening nocturnal episodes, is the film's central subject.
The production gives vivid cinematic form to interview subjects' darkest imaginings through surreal re-creations.
Films like The Nightmare, and why
Room 237
experimental documentary horror that turns subjective testimony and uncanny imagery into disturbing genre experiences
The Act of Killing
documentary filmmaking shaped by surreal reconstructions, unreliable perception, and psychological unease
Jacob's Ladder
immersive psychological horror centered on altered consciousness, fear, and nightmarish visual design
Movie Details
- Director
- Rodney Ascher
- Release Date
- 2015-06-05
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (293)
Cast
- Forrest Borie
- Korinne Wilson
- Andrew Schwarz
- Johnny Depp
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Nightmare about?
- Rodney Ascher turns firsthand accounts of sleep paralysis into a disturbing documentary nightmare where testimony and horror imagery feed each other.
- What is The Nightmare like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Nightmare as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Nightmare violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Nightmare.
- What did critics think of The Nightmare?
- Critics generally found the documentary-horror hybrid uniquely disturbing and visually inventive, though some felt it only grazed its subject and lacked expert medical depth.
- Which films are like The Nightmare?
- Films with a similar feel include Room 237, The Act of Killing, and Jacob's Ladder.
- How long is The Nightmare?
- The Nightmare runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Nightmare?
- In United States, The Nightmare streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel.
