The Nightmare (2015 American film)

Lore & Background

Rodney Ascher chose the subject of sleep paralysis because it had happened to him in the past. The film's crew initially began approaching participants via message groups, YouTube videos, and a half dozen books that had been written, but found that participants began approaching them after the documentary's premise was announced. In the film, Ascher interviews each participant and then tries to re-create their experiences on film with professional actors.

Reader's Guide

The Nightmare is significant as a documentary that gives cinematic form to the terrifying hallucinations and physical experiences associated with sleep paralysis. It received generally positive reviews, holding a 67% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 58 reviews, and a 69 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 16 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B. The film was praised by Indiewire, Screen Daily, and Variety, with Variety noting its playful, visually inventive approach. Shock Till You Drop remarked on how well the film was received at Sundance, where one viewer cried in gratitude. IGN was more negative, awarding a score of 3.5 out of 10. The film entered a limited theatrical release on June 5, 2015, while also attaining an online release.

Did You Know?

• Director Rodney Ascher chose the subject because he had experienced sleep paralysis himself.
• The film's crew initially approached participants via message groups, YouTube videos, and books.