The Nightmare Documentary Analysis


Hailey Spencer  

Film Appreciation 

FILM 115-IN1

Professor Trevor 

August 31st, 2025 

                                                            

          Sleep paralysis is a bizarre phenomenon I am incredibly fascinated with. The idea of someone being half awake and asleep at the same time never ceases to amaze or disturb me. I understand the human body is extremely complex, so I'm not surprised it occasionally makes mistakes. Despite being someone who has experienced sleep paralysis before, I cannot imagine what it must be like for those who suffer from it every night. The documentary, The Nightmare follows eight different people who experience sleep paralysis and the emotional toll it often takes on them.  
 
    After watching the documentary, I have determined The Nightmare has implicit bias. It leans more towards the supernatural side of sleep paralysis instead of scientific and medical explanations for the phenomenon. There are no doctors, neurologists, or medical experts interviewed to discuss why this phenomenon occurs or why people might see disturbing imagery or experience odd sensations. The Nightmare prioritizes people's personal anecdotes and the strange creatures, visions, or sensations they experience while sleep paralyzed. The focus is more on horror especially the reenactments of sleep paralysis episodes. The film also has an agenda in pushing people to believe in the supernatural. In fact, some people interviewed even say that they genuinely believe they were visited by supernatural entities or were in the presence of demonic activities.  
 
    As far as conventions, The Nightmare, uses interviews, voice over narrations by the people being interviewed, reenactments of the sleep paralysis episodes, and sound, music, and editing typically found in a horror film. The ones that particularly stood out to me were the interviews and the reenactments. The people being interviewed were very detailed and the way they described their experiences with sleep paralysis  aided the horror aspects of this documentary. The reenactments I also felt were effective. Despite the use of CGI and occasionally practical effects, the music and sounds used were frightening and helped create a creepy atmosphere.  
 
    Despite The Nightmare not delving into the medical side of sleep paralysis, I do think it is important as it explores the emotional and psychological toll sleep paralysis has on individuals who experience it and gives a voice to those who frequently suffer from this terrifying phenomenon. It highlights the complexities of the human mind and how it can play tricks on us. This documentary was somewhat positively received but largely for the terrifying reenactments, disturbing atmosphere, and detailed interviews. However, as I had mentioned, The Nightmare received widespread criticism for its lack of commentary from medical experts or exploration into the scientific explanations or theories for this phenomenon. Despite the mixed reception from critics, this film has done more than just entertain viewers. Because it focuses on people's personal experiences it allows others who also suffer from sleep paralysis to not feel like they're losing their minds and that they aren't alone.  
 
    Ultimately, I consider this documentary somewhat of a success but only in terms of allowing others with similar experiences to find solidarity and the aspects of a horror film it attempted to emulate. This documentary felt more like a horror movie than an in-depth dive into this strange phenomenon. If it had explored the clinical explanations for sleep paralysis and brought in neurologists and medical experts for commentary, I think it would have been better received. While it was interesting to hear people's personal experiences,  I do believe it would have greatly benefited from actual scientific theories and explanations as to why this phenomenon occurs.  

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