Synopsis
Riley is a young woman struggling with recurring night terrors and the lingering trauma of a tragedy she has never fully overcome, where every night she is haunted by the same demonic figure, leaving her exhausted and increasingly unable to separate dreams from reality, and when her best friend suddenly disappears without explanation, Riley begins to fear that the entity tormenting her in her sleep has crossed into the waking world.
As more people vanish and the nightmares grow increasingly violent, Riley finds herself trapped in a terrifying battle against a supernatural force that feeds on fear and strikes when its victims are at their most vulnerable, and to survive, she must uncover the truth behind the demon before falling asleep becomes a death sentence.
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About Parasomnia
Parasomnia is a 2026 supernatural horror film written and directed by James Ross II in his feature directorial debut, and premiering earlier in the year at the Overlook Film Festival, the film was later acquired by Shudder, where it will stream exclusively from September 2026.
While Parasomnia draws inspiration from classic nightmare horror, it also aims to create its own mythology by exploring sleep as something both ordinary and terrifying, so rather than simply revisiting familiar dream-based horror concepts, the film examines the helplessness of surrendering consciousness and the fear that something may be waiting on the other side.
Director Ross James Ross II has cited Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street as one of the film's biggest inspirations, explaining that he wanted to explore another universal fear shared by almost everyone - the vulnerability of falling asleep.
The film runs for approximately 85 minutes and will blend psychological horror, supernatural mythology and emotional drama into a suspense-driven supernatural horror with a dark visual style and nightmare-inspired sequences, looking to deliver a slow-building supernatural experience rather than relying purely on fast-paced scares.
Director and Cast
Parasomnia is directed by James Ross II and the cast includes -
Jasmine Mathews as Riley
RJ Brown
Stephen Barrington
Sally Stewart
Danny Brown
Simon Longnight
Trailer
Release Date
Parasomnia will make its streaming debut exclusively on Shudder on September 4, 2026.