The Nightmare review: This will have you sleeping with the light (or television) on for weeks.
The Nightmare review
Director: Rodney Ascher
Cast: Steven Yvette, Yatoya Toy, Elise Robson, Siegfried Peters
Running Time: 91 minutes
Certificate: 15
Synopsis: A documentary that probes into the phenomena known as Sleep Paralysis which affects thousands of us nightly.
Opening in 1984, Nightmare on Elm Street introduced the world to a certain Freddy Kreuger, a malevolent presence who stalks the dreams of the teen residents of the titular street. It was of course a massive success, the popularity never diminishing for the character that made Robert Englund’s career, so much so that it was only earlier this month that news broke of yet another reboot. The reason many found the film so traumatic to watch was because of the question that it raised; what do you when the thing that is stalking you can get you when you are asleep? The human body needs sleep to repair itself and the brain uses dreams to interpret information gathered during waking hours so you have to sleep. But what if sleeping meant experiencing a terrifying sensation of being investigated by unknown and mostly unseen forces, with you powerless to stop it due to the helpless feeling of being paralysed?
Well, that phenomena occurs way more than you may think, affecting thousands of the population on a daily basis. The condition known as Sleep Paralysis is the subject for Rodney Ascher’s latest documentary The Nightmare. It’s not a documentary in the conventional sense; instead it’s a strange hybrid of film and documentary. For the project the crew interviewed eight sufferers of sleep paralysis and then recreated their experiences on screen. The subject matter is interesting, unusual and extremely compelling.
The Nightmare review
It might sound a little bit like a Channel Five / Sky Living documentary but The Nightmare has a lot more style and class. The reconstructions start off short and relatively tame, but progress into longer, darker and altogether, much more sinister affairs.
The Nightmare doesn’t try to explain the condition, but rather documents the first hand accounts of those that are trying to live with the condition. The subjects all suffer with varying levels of severity and have each been suffering for varying lengths of time. Several of the group can trace their first experiences back to the crib whilst one subject only started getting bouts after he learnt that his ex-girlfriend suffered with it.
Each person has a different belief as to what it’s all about as well. Some believe they are stalked by demons whereas others think it’s a precursor to madness, or even death, and others have furthermore been tempted to wonder whether those little green men might have something to do with it.
The Nightmare review
The sound design is genius, perfectly creating an intense and nightmarish atmosphere. It has been well thought out and excels in making the skin crawl in several sequences which invade the viewer’s consciousness. In some instances we have invasive screeching and shrill sounds, in other places whispers and mutterings appear to come from all around, whilst a flashback involving a shouting stranger manages to seem as if it’s screaming directly into your ear.
Visually the film is outstanding. The use of blues, reds and shadows all combine together to create an unnerving and sinister atmosphere. The design of the ‘shadow’ men should detract from the terror yet somehow, maybe it’s the movement, they are some of the most stomach-churning figures in horror, let alone documentary.
The Nightmare is a documentary for people who don’t like documentaries; an intriguing fusion of film and documentary. An innovative spin of the genre, Ascher prevails at wringing every morsel of horror from his participant’s experiences. The Nightmare will have you sleeping with the light (or television) on for weeks.
The Nightmare review, Kat Hughes, August 2015.
The Nightmare screens at London’s Frightfest ahead of a DVD and Blu-Ray release on October 26th.
