Parasomnia: Shudder’s Chilling New Horror Movie Will Make You Afraid to Sleep
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Reel Perspectives
September 4, 2026
Whatever you do, don't fall asleep. James Ross II is coming for your dreams with Parasomnia, a chilling new supernatural horror movie that turns night terrors into something much more terrifying: a nightmare that refuses to stay in your head. The film arrives on Shudder September 4, and if you thought waking up meant you were safe, Riley's story is about to make you think again.
Written and directed by Ross II, Parasomnia follows Riley, played by Jasmine Mathews, a young woman whose life has been shaped by devastating tragedy and terrifying night terrors. Riley has learned to live with the darkness that comes when she closes her eyes, but everything changes when her best friend goes missing. Suddenly, the demonic figure that has been haunting her dreams doesn't feel like something confined to her imagination anymore. It may have found a way into the real world.
And that's where the movie gets seriously creepy. Riley isn't simply dealing with nightmares. Her sleep becomes a dangerous gateway, and the film constantly makes viewers question whether what they're watching is happening in reality, inside Riley's fractured subconscious, or somewhere in between. Ross II plays with that uncertainty throughout the story, using shifting dream logic, unsettling imagery, supernatural mythology, and terrifying horror to keep the audience off balance.
What makes Parasomnia particularly intriguing is the history buried underneath Riley's terror. Her nightmares aren't random, and the tragedy she experienced as a teenager is directly connected to the supernatural force that continues to follow her. The film gradually reveals that Riley's relationship with sleep has been governed by a very specific set of rules, because surrendering to sleep can open the door to something far more sinister. That mythology gives the film more to chew on than simply another demon stalking unsuspecting victims.
As the story unfolds, Riley discovers that the entity isn't merely appearing in her dreams—it has a connection to the horrific events that shattered her childhood. The film eventually pulls back the curtain on the mysterious figure known as the Seer, while revealing that the nightmare world Riley has been navigating is connected to the victims trapped within it. The third act deliberately recontextualizes what audiences thought they understood about Riley, the entity, and the connection between the dream world and reality, turning earlier moments on their heads.
That twist is part of what gives Parasomnia its bite. Rather than simply throwing a monster at Riley and calling it a day, Ross II builds a mythology around the creature and makes Riley's own history an essential piece of the puzzle. The horror becomes personal, which makes the stakes considerably higher once she realizes that waking up may not necessarily mean escaping the nightmare.
Leading the cast alongside Mathews are RJ Brown, Sally Stewart, Stephen Barrington, Danny Brown and Simon Longnight, with the ensemble helping create the unsettling world surrounding Riley's increasingly dangerous battle with the supernatural.
For Ross II, Parasomnia marks an impressive feature directorial debut, and the filmmaker clearly isn't afraid to get weird, bloody and psychologically unsettling. The movie has already made its way through the horror festival circuit, including appearances at FrightFest, Panic Fest, Overlook and Brooklyn Horror Fest, building buzz before its Shudder arrival.
Parasomnia is worth adding to the horror watchlist with its simple but effective nightmare fuel: what if the thing terrorizing you in your sleep doesn't disappear when you wake up? Ross II takes that terrifying question and stretches it into a supernatural mystery filled with gruesome imagery, unsettling dream sequences, and a mythology that keeps expanding as Riley gets closer to the truth.
If you're looking for a horror movie that might make you regret hitting the snooze button, Parasomnia is ready to mess with your sleep schedule. The nightmare begins streaming on Shudder September 4.
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