Alex suffers from a strange case of parasomnia in the movie Dream Eater, and he’s headed to the woods with his girlfriend to assist in his therapy. Their plan is to live in a cabin while she records his moments. The hope is that someone can study the footage and understand why this is happening. With Mallory Drumm and Alex Lee Williams not only starring but also writing and directing, I can’t help but wonder if taking on too many roles behind the camera is part of the film’s problem. Even Jay Drakulic, who has a minor role, shares a directorial credit.
Somewhere in a quiet corner of Quebec, the couple faces more than the usual relationship woes. They’re getting on each other’s nerves as Alex descends into a deeper psychosis. His inability to tell whether he’s dreaming or awake drives most of the film’s tension. The genuine fear lies in what he might do when his subconscious refuses to stop him. It’s a compelling hook, at least in theory, to keep audiences invested.
When a film advertises itself as inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft, I’m immediately curious. Alex’s fascination with the author’s stories blurs the lines between fiction and reality. The setting feels like a liminal space—less New England horror and a more wistful entry to another realm where myth bleeds into madness.
The titular Dream Eater, an unseen entity said to consume nightmares, is teased through Mallory’s conversations with a scholar right from the Cthulhu mythos: Doctor Armitage (David Richard). The nods are only known if you know Lovecraft’s works. He wrote Astrophobos, which aligns well with the film’s themes. When this psychiatrist says the entity is Phobetor from Greek mythology, just how close it connects to the lore really depends on how well viewers know the lore!
That question haunts the film more than its monster. As a found-footage story, it demands a certain suspension of disbelief—but some shots feel impossible. When the camera locks off, we assume Mallory set it down; yet the smooth handheld cutaways and random B-roll moments make me wonder how many unseen tripods and spare cameras this documentarian packed. And as for memory cards, they need a lot or a four-terabyte hard drive attached to them. In a digital age without the charm of old mini-DV or VHS tapes, the realism gap is jarring.
Despite the technical quirks, Mallory’s performance grounds the story. She captures the exhaustion of someone holding it together as her partner falls apart. Alex, meanwhile, channels a bit of Jared Leto energy—same hairstyle, same flat stare. Whether or not that comparison flatters him depends on the viewer, but at least he brings conviction to the madness.
The backstory eventually explains why this troubled soul is afflicted, and the reveal offers some payoff. But this couple’s dynamic isn’t far removed from Micah and Katie in Paranormal Activity: lots of bickering, limited context for who they were before the nightmares began. For all its Lovecraftian promises, Dream Eater doesn’t bring much new to the table. It’s no Nightmare on Elm Street—and certainly not cosmic horror.
Sadly, that results in a mixed bag of drama and low-fi frights. By the time the boogeyman finally appears, the shock is nullified. Instead of exploring the Greek mythos that define Phobetor’s origins, the creature is reduced to a stock image that hardly respects the origins.
Had the filmmakers leaned deep and brought in siblings like Morpheus or Phantasos, the story could have been richer. After watching, I had to dig into the mythology myself to see what was missed. The interesting philosophical twist is this: Phobetor reminds mortals of their vulnerability, while Freddy in the Nightmare films exploits it. One’s a mirror; the other’s a predator. Had that lore been more front and centre rather than an info dump, I’d have bumped the rating by at least a notch.
3 Stars out of 5
Dream Eater Movie Trailer
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