‘The Nightmare’ Review: Documentary on Sleep Paralysis offers Effective Scares for Halloween Season

“The Nightmare” is a horror vehicle with an interesting and unique format.

Debuting at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, it was directed by Rodney Ascher. It’s a documentary about the terrors of sleep paralysis, a condition Ascher himself has undergone.

The 91-minute production interviews a group of people as they explain their own experiences, with scripted re-enactments capturing the terror they felt.

Nightmares

The film opens with an ominous text. “This is the story of eight people and what waits for them in the darkness.” Yikes!

We then watch various interviews with the subjects, followed by the artistic rendition of what happened to each of them, including the shared visions of the shadowman.

I discovered Kyle Edward Ball after watching “Skinamarink.” Ball’s YouTube channel began in a similar style as he made short videos capturing anonymous comments about actual nightmares.

It’s a great idea. We’ve all had crazy dreams and vivid nightmares. I have experienced sleep paralysis on numerous occasions, and it truly is scarier than anything found in fiction.

Cool format

Documentary. Found footage. Mockumentary. It’s all here.

“The Nightmare” has solid effects and legit scares. It’s a different option, but one worth watching.