Rent Nightmare (2013)

Genuinely creepy in places - Nightmare review by NP

This is one of those films that threatens to slide into the ‘is there something supernatural going on, or is it all in the minds of the main characters?’ category. Not that there’s anything wrong with that – however, it is a plotline that has been done so many times, it would need to pull out all the stops to avoid feelings of repetition.

As I watched this, I hoped it would ultimately prove to be something more, because it is so solidly made and well acted. The scary moments are well staged, and the atmosphere of deteriorating relationships is palpable. When the ending comes, it is a relief that there is no open-ended cop-out. The explanations were cursory, but enough to satisfy.

As babies go, the little fellow in this film proves to be annoying indeed; his constant crying for attention would be unbearable were he not so well cast. A cuter child I don’t remember seeing in a film.

So I need not have been so worried on any level. ‘Nightmare’ (what a shame they didn’t stick with the less generic title ‘Dark Circles’) is a film that is this good, that doesn’t drop the ball at any time, even during the final moments (which have a genuine poignancy to them). My score is 8 out of 10.