Dream Eater review
If you’re in the market for a found footage movie about sleepwalking…Dream Eater is a good version of one.
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Dream Eater
Directed by Jay Drakulic, Mallory Drumm and Alex Lee Williams
Written by Jay Drakulic, Mallory Drumm and Alex Lee Williams
Starring Alex Lee Williams, Mallory Drumm, David Richard, Dainty Smith, Kelly Williams, Jay Drakulic and Sade Green
Dream Eater Review
One of the keys for found footage movies to succeed is there being an organic reason it exists in the first place. Some stories stretch themselves to explain why all this footage is being captured. Dream Eater, though it does feature some moments where continuing to film seems a bit ridiculous, has thought out a couple of reasons it is presented in this format. That may sound like nothing…or like something that is very obvious…but you’d be surprised how many found footage movies fail this smell test. Dream Eater passes it. In fact, it comes up with a second reason that helps cover those pesky moments referenced earlier.
Alex (Alex Lee Williams) begins sleepwalking after quitting his job. His partner Mallory (Mallory Drumm) becomes concerned after a violent outburst while he is doing it. On the recommendation of their doctor…they take a vacation to an isolated house for Alex’s upcoming birthday. Things go downhill quickly…leaving Mallory to contend with Alex’s night terrors…and his waking hours that are beginning to resemble his sleepwalking state.
The main reason this “found footage” exists is that their doctor recommended filming Alex’s sleepwalking. Which explains why the nights are recorded…but not the days. That’s where Dream Eater introduces its second reason. Mallory is a filmmaker looking for her next documentary subject. It isn’t lost on Alex, who thinks everyone is overreacting, that she packed her best camera and is shooting him while he is awake. It adds a layer of contention between them which also gives Dream Eater a fairly believable reason that this is all happening. Out of work, worried about money, bottling things about his past up and arguing with Mallory about everything…it could just be stress that is causing Alex’s night games.
Or it could be a demon.
Dream Eater doesn’t just bring Mallory along to turn on cameras and bare the brunt of Alex’s dangerous outbursts. She quickly becomes the lead investigator into what’s ailing Alex. She digs into his family history, reaches out to a demonologist…and discovers that those two avenues may be more connected than anyone could have imagined. Normally a leap to demonic activity in a sleepwalking story would feel like a big swing. Since we’re watching Alex talk to himself (and sometimes being answered by something else) it’s not hard to buy into the possibility.
But wait, you might be asking, how does the found footage work out here? I’ve seen too many shaky cameras in the woods to trust Dream Eater with an hour and a half of my time. Well…there is very little of that here. Mallory is a pro with the camera and her footage (along with some stationary cameras set around the house) looks clean. Unless she’s dealing with an unexpected need to run for her life that is. Dream Eater is one of those found footage movies where the purpose of the footage outweighs the shortcuts of using the concept.
Other than a few video chats with people during Mallory’s investigation…the entire movie features only Alex and Mallory in the cast. They are truly isolated from the world…at a time when it might be the worst thing to be.
Of course, the big question for most will be “is it scary?” I don’t know how often it felt truly scary…but it is an effective movie. You believe in the danger, and you’re engaged with the mystery of why it’s all happening. It certainly has its moments. Williams does a great job with his near-possessed state while sleepwalking. He’s an amiable and likable character at the beginning of the story…so the sharp contrast with his sleeping state works well. As his waking state begins to mirror the sleeping one more and more…Alex feels like a truly dangerous character.
If you have interest in a found footage horror movie about sleepwalking…Dream Eater is a good version of that concept. The found footage concepts are rarely distracting. It features a story worth discovering delivered by actors who make everything feel believable. That’s another key part of successful found footage. When you get that much right…you’ve utilized the format well.
Scare Value
Odds are you already know whether or not you are interested in seeing Dream Eater when you got to the “found footage” tag. If they aren’t your cup of tea…this isn’t going to change your mind despite being a good version of the concept. If you do like them…or they don’t bother you…Dream Eater is worth checking out. There’s a story here beyond filming a guy acting creepy at night. It reveals itself at a nice pace….delivering the odd scare or two. Basically, if you’re interested in a found footage movie about sleepwalking…this is a good one.
3/5
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