The Nightmare is a new documentary that delves into the horrifying world of sleep paralysis, a strange phenomenon that leaves sufferers immobilized in their beds, awake but unable to move. They also, sometimes, experience terrifying hallucinations of demons and shadow people, among other things.
While I’ve never experienced any of this myself, the trailer here is certainly unnerving.
One commenter on Reddit, who saw the documentary at SXSW, mentioned that the film isn’t so much about why sleep paralysis occurs, but rather how it feels. It highlights eight individuals who suffer from the haunting affliction, and recreates their disturbing experiences in, from what I can tell, a pretty dramatic way.
Directed by Rodney Ascher (who has experienced sleep paralysis himself), The Nightmare is set to release on June 5, 2015.