The Nightmare

The Nightmare

Welcome to the scariest place on earth.

Directed by Rodney Ascher

Produced by Campfire Studios, Zipper Bros Films

201590 min5.5 / 10

A deeply unsettling documentary that uses intimate interviews and atmospheric reconstruction to explore the terror of sleep paralysis and the supernatural dread it induces.

Eight people experience sleep paralysis, a condition which leaves them unable to move, speak or react.

Questions people ask

  • Is The Nightmare scary? Yes, very. More frightening than 95% of films.

  • Is The Nightmare easy watching? No. Less comforting than 92% of films.

  • Does The Nightmare end with hope? Barely. Less hopeful than 83% of films.

  • Is The Nightmare violent? Not especially. Less violent than 64% of films.

  • Is The Nightmare sad? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

32/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

You have seen this shape before.

Rarity96

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise20

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love8

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Everything like The Nightmare, and what each one shares →

Like The Nightmare

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as The Nightmare

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like The Nightmare, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like The Nightmare, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like The Nightmare, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

Share thisXBlueskyReddit