Pesadilla

Pesadilla" is a haunting and atmospheric psychological thriller that delves into the darkest corners of the human psyche and mental health struggles. Directed by Dylan Anglin, this film grips viewers from the opening scene and refuses to let go until the credits roll. Anglin's direction is masterful, creating a palpable sense of tension and unease that permeates every frame. The cinematography is striking, with stark contrasts and clever use of light and shadow adding to the film's eerie atmosphere. The standout performance comes from veteran actor Mike Davis, whose portrayal of Gramps is both masterful and disturbing. Overall Pesadilla is a compelling story with chilling visuals including standout practical effects by Hunter Groves. Anglin proves himself to be a talent to watch in the world of indie horror, and Pesadilla is a promising film that will leave viewers on the edge of their seats, and with an uneasy feeling on the drive home.

Tbh, most micro budget films are something along the lines of crime or chasing someone around with a knife. I couldn't help but get the same feeling as something like Primer, or Following. I mean this film makes a convincing (yet terrifying) point in regards to the Andy Griffith show which is something you don't see often on this scale, the "outrageous metaphors". Shocking moments, tough subject matter, a final 5 minutes that are admittedly more iconic than the actual film and iconic in itself. The grandpa character was extremely well written, and the performance was superb. I liked this film, it was different.

When you see high ratings for an indie with a sub-100 view count, you can be forgiven when your bs detector starts to hum a little.

I think they're warranted in this case. I'm not offended by friends & family showering this with 5s or whatever.

Because it's really something else.

It's loaded with loopy characters & fun performances. Has a scene with a hot tattooed girl in her underwear. No nudity though. It has an absurd ending that made me kinda happy. Whoever made this didn't just throw a bunch of nonsense at the wall & hoped that some of it would stick. He's got a real sense of humor & timing, i think.

My only major criticism is that it's a touch too long. If it was 90m, i'd be truly piping hot on it instead of highly keen.

Good one, nevertheless. Worth a watch if you're looking for something small & silly & a little baffling.

There's something so engaging and dangerous about a film that manages to come off this rabid while consistently keeping control and maintaining a legitimate creative voice toward a bigger end. I think an unfamiliar, unwilling eye might minimize what makes this great down into something comparable to intentional subversion because it's easier to say that than attempt to draw a challenged throughline for your own takeaways to stand on, but in my opinion, sifting through the thematic grief collage this film layers upon itself as it unspools, what's actually flowing through Pesadilla is so much more endearing than that. There's an emotional undercurrent carrying a lot of face-value cynicism in a way that basically forces its juxtaposition upon contact; think like a less clinical, more fleshy take on what Michael Haneke does. There's nothing one-dimensional here even if it tastes that way at first and Dylan Anglin obviously understands that there's no easy answers within this kind of subject material. It's not really a horror movie, it's a sweaty, manic, levitating broken thermometer pouring out its mercury and I love it for that. This is some DIY chaos magic renaissance'd from that late 90's miracle zone of indie filmmaking where risks got taken that are definitely not safe and the film CONSTANTLY benefits from it. The soundtrack, acting and adventurousness of the shot composition pretty substantially transcends the budget at all times and I would love to see what this man could do with a million bucks.

It has been a while since I've professionally reviewed anything, but I'd like to give it another go, especially with films that might have flown under the radar. This day and age, I find myself watching a lot of indie films, A lot of the times on Tubi, and this time on Amazon and figured I'd give it a watch (The two cows on the poster sold it). When I first watched Pesadilla, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. Sure, it had some issues.. the soundtrack mixing was a little off, though, to be fair, I have that complaint with a lot of Hollywood films as well. I can't imagine the director thought that everybody would go for this film, so I initially wrote it off as something that just wasn't for me. But then I sat on it. I went to bed, and my mind kept going back to the last five minutes. And I have to give credit where it's due when this film commits to an idea, it really goes for it. That's both its biggest flaw and its most encouraging trait. It's too ambitious for what it's trying to be, but honestly, that's exactly why I ended up liking it.

Most micro-budget short films tend to go the slasher route or suffer from poorly written dialogue, but Pesadilla defies those expectations. The dialogue outside, in particular the conversation with Gramps, played by Mike Davis (who was phenomenal, by the way) felt chilling and haunting in a way I've rarely seen in micro-budget films. There was one moment where a creature's hand jumped into frame, and I initially thought it was the cheesiest part of the whole thing. But then I realized, it worked. It made me jump, and that's when it clicked for me: this film is the work of someone who truly loves the medium. Someone who wants to create something great but is restricted by budget and resources. And in this day and age, that's a challenge filmmakers have to push through. And let's talk about the creature, I did not find it scary but if you look at it as a metaphorical presence, it works a lot better then it just being something in a house stalking people.

I'd be fibbing if I said I wasn't interested in revisiting Pesadilla. Maybe I'll like it less on a rewatch, or maybe I'll appreciate it even more. Some of the key takeaways, some performances were definitely stronger than others, it's not a make or break, but I really think casting is a huge deal, especially when you're working bare bones and there's nothing you can do. I'm torn on the overall direction because one part of me wants to say "Hey tone it back" And another part wants me to say "what's going on in this singular mind?". But one thing's for sure nearly two hours long, and there's something happening in every scene. Yes people will view this as an amateurish film, but it's one of the better and ballsy "amateurish films"I've seen.