This Friday The Nightmare will be released in limited theaters throughout the US and on VOD. The documentary promises to be one of the scariest movies of the year. That’s right: documentary. The Nightmare is the latest project from director Rodney Ascher, who is best known for his The Shining conspiracy theory documentary, Room 237. The film premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival and tackles to subject of sleep paralysis.
Those who have suffered a bout of sleep paralysis know how dreadfully terrifying it can be. I had one recently where what looked like the witch from Left 4 Dead kneeled next to my bed and slashed me in the face. For those not familiar with the phenomenon, sleep paralysis is defined as a temporary inability to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up. It’s the state limbo between the dream world and reality. Often times hallucinations are experienced, usually in the form of terrifying figures which, being paralyzed, the subject can’t escape from.
The Nightmare combines interviews with the afflicted and dramatizations to portray the surprisingly common phenomenon. There are more than three million cases in the US alone each year. Early reviews out of Sundance praised the film and not too long ago eager viewers at home got a taste of some footage via a trailer. The trailer showcases what looks to be a truly terrifying ride. The Nightmare will surely make some lose quite a bit of sleep.
The Nightmare releases June 5th in select theaters and if you can’t catch the terror on the big screen it will be available on VOD outlets as well. Have you ever had sleep paralysis? Are you brave enough to check out The Nightmare? Let us know in the comments below!
