Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Nightmare’ (2022)

10/2/2023

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Eili Harboe and Herman Tømmeraas as Mona and Robby in Kjersti Helen Rasmussen’s NIGHTMARE. Photo Courtesy of Shudder. A Shudder Release.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Nightmare’. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist.

One thing that we can all agree upon, is that humanity is fascinated with our dreams. Not in the metaphorical and inspirational sense. Such as going after a passion in our lives to make it a full-time vocation. No, we are genuinely fascinated with where our brains take us when we settle in for our evening slumber. Because our dreams… can be so wild in nature. For they range from pleasant and lovely and sometimes outright fun, to deeply terrifying. To the point where we awaken with a scream in our throat that must be released and with confusion in our minds. To the point where we need a minute to settle down and gather our bearings, and well… that range and their existence in general, truly does captivate us.

Because aside from the physical need for dreams, since REM sleep, where dreams occur, helps to refresh us and keep our minds sharp… we simply don’t understand dreams. And we want to know… why they offer us such a wild range of moments, and well… if they mean something. Because our logical minds want to know if there is something our subconscious is trying to tell us with dreams and well… we simply don’t have the answers unfortunately. So, we do our best to interpret them and hope to find the meaning and purpose regarding them we crave, and one place that helps us do so, is storytelling. Because in the world of fiction we can safely explore such matters and perhaps work out our confusion in some capacity, and it just so happens that a fascinating new horror film on Shudder does just that in Nightmare.

A feat that this story accomplishes by introducing us to a woman named Mona, who seemingly has it all. For she and her boyfriend Robby have just secured their first place together, and they’re surrounded by friends and love, and even when Mona loses her job, there’s nothing to fret about. For Robby makes enough to sustain them, giving her time to just… enjoy her day and work on her new place. And that is why, she is deeply unsettled by the nightmares that now plague her. Because they’re growing in intensity, and they feature unsettling moments that leave her confused and in an altered state when she wakes up. Which prompts her to seek out a sleep study to learn more about her nightmares and what she uncovers… terrifies her. For she may be victim to something sinister, something that found her within the realm of dreams and now IT, may stop at nothing to have what IT wants from her and now Mona must figure out the meaning of her dreams and what this entity desires before her nightmares become reality.

Which at first glance, is a plot that seems to be grounded more so in the fight between good and evil. Since there is a demon from another dimension at play here that wants Mona to do its bidding, and she must fight it to save her soul. Which thankfully, offers up some solid horror moments for certain. The kind that are eerie and gothic and scary, thanks to shadows and a blurred line between reality and dreams in the story. But beneath those spooky moments in the dream world, are some fascinating concepts about dreams and what they could mean to us, and this film banks on theories that revolve around… the possibility that when we dream, we open ourselves up to so much more. That our minds reach out into the world and the NetherRealm and find spirits and souls that tell us stories that play out in our minds, or we tap into an evil that wants to be released. Which is… some meta thinking… but welcome… simply because, we don’t know what dreams entail.

But of course, that’s the kind of broad thinking that not all viewers are keen upon, which is why this film also toys with some real-world concepts and notions. In that yes, she’s battling sleep and a so-called demon, because she cannot handle the evils of the world. For her boyfriend is a bit cold in this story, and makes hard demands of her at times, the kind that push her to her limits and that in turn, allows for the story at times to ponder upon, whether or not the real nightmare, is life, and that the horrors we face and process and push down deep in the name of saving grace, are what really haunt our dreams. Which may make it seem as though this film is confused and doesn’t know what it wants to focus upon, but that simply isn’t the case. Instead, having commentary and outright postulation makes this a brave and bold feature.

One that is eager to experiment with its story and offer up as many ideas about our dreams as possible, and well… both concepts work well here. In part because they leave the story up for interpretation and that is rare in this era of elevated horror and hyper focused horror, but welcome. Because it lets you, choose your own adventure and lets you decide whether Mona is trapped in a waking nightmare or is fighting off a great evil that would make Freddy Krueger proud, and that makes for one fascinating viewing experience. One that really does leave you with plenty to ponder upon and deeply unsettles you. Courtesy of those real-world horrors and what waits for Mona beyond in the dream world and well, this movie deserves a round of applause for doing something bold and refreshing and for doing its best… to answer some ancient questions about our dreams… and why they sometimes haunt us.

Watch ‘Nightmare’ (2022)

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