Parasomnia conjures a dream demon in a promising feature debut

Image courtesy of Shudder

Writer/director James Ross II's Parasomnia is one of those first films that shows a lot of promise and makes me excited for what the director will do next. Though the film has some flaws, including a rather convoluted last act and lore, it's still compelling and proves that Ross II is a talent to watch.

The movie stars Jasmine Mathews as Riley. When she was young, her father murdered her mom, and Riley was too frozen from a night terror to be able to do anything. A decade later, in a foster home, a similar tragic event occurred, and again, Riley could not stop it because she was seized by a night terror. Since that horrible episode, Riley developed a regimented and strict sleep pattern to protect herself and those around her, specifically from a dream demon named The Seer (Simon Longnight). She ensures everyone around her falls asleep first to ensure they're not attacked by the demon.

Initially the plan works, but when Riley reconnects with her old foster home pal, David (Stephen Barrington), at her parents' "murder house," as David puts it, as part of a surprise birthday party, she can no longer control the demon. She's also joined by her boyfriend, Cam (RJ Brown), who, like David, finds himself suddenly in harm's way. The all-Black cast is generally one of the movie's strongpoints, especially Mathews in the lead role. She portrays Riley with a weariness that's effective, and Riley's past trauma isn't used as a mere plot device, but rather, it impacts everything around her and everything that eventually occurs in the film. It's used well.

The Seer manages to pull Riley's loved ones into hellish dreamscapes, and the demon gouges out their eyeballs, hence its name. Of course, anything with a dream demon will warrant comparisons to A Nightmare on Elm Street and Freddy Kreuger. However, The Seer is nothing like Freddy. For one, Freddy is a much more playful character and uses dreams to toy with his victims in wildly creative ways. The Seer is a more serious character, and I'd argue, a bit boring in comparison. It's one of the film's weak points because The Seer simply isn't a very memorable villain. Additionally, the back half of the movie is loaded with a lot of lore and a jagged timeline that's a bit too convoluted for its own good. Additionally, while the dream world looks cool, with its series of mazes and labyrinths that Riley must navigate, it becomes a bit repetitive after a while.

Some flaws aside, Parasomnia is an entertaining movie with some impressive practical effects late in the movie and a solid performance by Mathews and her fellow classmates. Ross II clearly has the chops, both as a director and screenwriter, and it's likely he'll continue to improve. Parasomnia is a solid first feature that underscores his talent and promise.

Parasomnia is now screening on Shudder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tYE5KY0dk4