‘Are you awake?’
Nightmare is a 2023 Norwegian psychological horror film about a pregnant young woman who believes a demon wants her baby.
Written and directed by Kjersti Helen Rasmussen. Produced by John Einar Hagen, Einar Loftesnes and Magnus Thomassen. Executive produced by Alain de la Mata, Sveinung Golimo and Kilian Kerwin.
The movie stars Eili Harboe, Herman Tømmeraas, Dennis Storhøi, Siri Black Ndiaye, Peter Førde, Gine Therese Grønner, Preben Hodneland and Cathrine Sviggum.
Plot:
Mona and Robby are a young couple in love. Robby has just landed his dream job, and they’ve scored an amazing deal on a spacious, if run-down, flat. Never mind that it requires quite a bit of renovation. Never mind the neighbour’s constant fighting, and screaming baby… Never mind that Mona is suddenly plagued by night terrors which grow more intense every time she falls asleep…
Robby is eager to start a family, despite Mona’s hesitation. Eventually, Mona’s issues spiral dangerously out of control as she becomes convinced that she is being attacked by a mythical demon – the Mare – intent on possessing her unborn child…
Reviews:
“Despite the fact that the Nightmare finds a good nerve and works well as a genre film, there also comes a point in the film where it abandons the more down-to-earth and serious, if you can say that, in favor of what we recognize from the more playful horror films of the 1980s…” Cinema [translated from Norwegian]
“it shows that its director has her own style. There is a narrative work behind it for her and she is promised a bright future . I also have to admit that there are a couple of level scares and that some of the ideas she raises, such as the fate of the protagonist’s neighbor, are very interesting.” Las Furias [translated from Spanish]
“The film’s biggest problem is that it tries to be too many things at once, thanks to a script that can’t decide whether it wants to be a pregnancy horror, a new apartment horror, a sleep paralysis horror, a possession horror or a haunted house story. Ultimately, that lack of focus works against Nightmare, not least because of the way the various clichés of each of those genres keep piling up.” 3 out of 5, Nerdly
“Nightmare hones in not only on its titular tendencies, but how those nightmares stem from fears that we might not even recognize or wish to confront. Anchored by Harboe, it’s a complex tale that invites us to comprehend that complexity and how it compounds in the mind of one person, and even if that person is strong, the combined dark forces might be stronger.” Screen Anarchy
“The film effectively recreates a vintage, chilling atmosphere through suggestive camera work, while Rasmussen pens a first act that is both a nod to the classics and intriguing enough to stand on its own. That premise is betrayed as the script gets looser and cannot or will not give its subplots a coherent denouement and conclusion.” Signal Horizon
“In its technical sections, there is nothing negative to highlight. The film maintains a good level in all categories, although the result lacks much interest. So, in short, Nightmare has the evil of those movies in which nothing is really wrong, but nothing is really right.” Terror Weekend
YouTube reviews:
Trailer 1:
Shudder trailer:
Release:
Nightmare had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest in Texas on September 25, 2022, before being shown at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain, then London Film Festival, Tromsø International Film Festival in Norway and Göteborg Film Festival in Sweden. The movie will be available on Shudder on September 29, 2023.
Original title:
Marerittet “The Nightmare”
Filming locations:
Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
Related:
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