Nightmare Cinema
A sinister projectionist ushers viewers through a gleefully uneven anthology of gore, possession, body horror, and fractured realities.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- eerie
- grotesque
- surreal
- midnight horror marathon
- halloween viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the anthology eclectic and entertaining, with David Slade's surreal monochrome segment standing out despite uneven execution across the stories.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Projectionist, played by Mickey Rourke, lures viewers into a theater where the anthology segments are presented as films.
The segments range from slasher and alien-spider parody to cosmetic-surgery body horror, demonic possession, surreal psychological horror, and hospital spirit horror.
David Slade's This Way to Egress is filmed in dark monochrome as a woman loses touch with reality and appears to enter a frightening parallel universe.
The Thing in the Woods intentionally throws together slasher clichés and alien spiders, while other segments push surgery and possession premises beyond logical realism.
Films like Nightmare Cinema, and why
V/H/S
shared anthology horror structure, varied subgenres, and uneven but entertaining scare-tale format
The ABCs of Death
shared eclectic horror anthology approach, gore-forward scares, and multiple directorial voices
Trick 'r Treat
shared horror anthology framework, dark humor, and old-fashioned creepshow sensibility
Tales from the Hood
shared theatrical framing device, surreal horror imagery, and segmented nightmare storytelling
Movie Details
- Directors
- Ryuhei Kitamura, Mick Garris, David Slade, Alejandro Brugués, Joe Dante
- Release Date
- 2018-06-21
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (270)
Cast
- Mickey Rourke
- Sarah Elizabeth Withers
- Elizabeth Reaser
- Zarah Mahler
- Faly Rakotohavana
- Maurice Benard
- Mariela Garriga
- Mark Grossman
- Richard Chamberlain
- Adam Godley
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Nightmare Cinema about?
- A sinister projectionist ushers viewers through a gleefully uneven anthology of gore, possession, body horror, and fractured realities.
- What is Nightmare Cinema like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Nightmare Cinema as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Nightmare Cinema violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Nightmare Cinema as graphic.
- What did critics think of Nightmare Cinema?
- Critics broadly found the anthology eclectic and entertaining, with David Slade's surreal monochrome segment standing out despite uneven execution across the stories.
- Which films are like Nightmare Cinema?
- Films with a similar feel include V/H/S, The ABCs of Death, Trick 'r Treat, and Tales from the Hood.
- How long is Nightmare Cinema?
- Nightmare Cinema runs 119 minutes.
- Where can I watch Nightmare Cinema?
- In United States, Nightmare Cinema is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home.
