“Dream Eater” follows a filmmaker as she documents her boyfriend’s violent parasomnia during a remote cabin holiday.
No matter your thoughts on the film, Eli Roth’s The Horror Section is something that genre fans should applaud. With “Jimmy and Stiggs” and now “Dream Eater” getting theatrical releases in 2025, the company is allowing audiences to experience new, creative offerings in horror.
Whether you enjoy “Dream Eater” will largely depend on your appreciation of found-footage horror.
Found Footage That Forgets its Roots
That said, it doesn’t always stay true to its found-footage foundation. Using a variety of nature shots as transitional filler, the movie often disrupts its own flow. In some ways, it’s trying to pose as a documentary, where such transitions would fit. However, it’s largely inconsistent. Because of this, the rough-edged charm that found-footage films often rely on is sometimes lost in the process.
“Dream Eater” has more lore than you’d expect – both for better and worse.
With a Lovecraftian approach, there are mythological touches bound to intrigue fans of that subgenre. At a certain point, though, it all becomes too on the nose.
“Dream Eater” repeatedly halts its momentum by talking instead of showing. It over-explains its characters, concepts and ideas through clunky exposition scenes. By slogging through extended dialogue, the film starts to feel unnatural. It doesn’t allow its events to unfold organically, instead opting to tell the audience what to think.
This choice drains much of the suspense from a film that has the potential to be genuinely terrifying.
Scares That Land… Eventually
Still, “Dream Eater” manages to be frightening in moments. The shaky, handheld aesthetic remains effective at delivering jolts, and several shots linger long after the credits roll.
The final act is where the found-footage format shines. Scares are plentiful in the last 20 minutes, creating a finale that will likely please many. Though it plays out predictably, “Dream Eater” still goes out with a bang.
Performances and Personality
“Dream Eater” also leans into juvenile humor. Some of it works, some doesn’t. To its credit, most of the banter feels natural. The dynamic between the couple provides a few genuine laughs that break up the tension.
That balance comes largely from Alex Lee Williams (Alex). He plays the charismatic yet ragefully flawed boyfriend with precision – goofy and corny one second, downright creepy the next. His ability to toggle between the two makes the character feel complete.
The film also gives audiences an emotional anchor in Mallory, played by Mallory Drumm. Her role is less developed, but she still gets moments to shine. While her material feels more generic, Drumm provides a needed layer of sanity opposite Williams’ chaotic energy.
“Dream Eater” benefits from a simple yet impactful score. The recurring whistle motif becomes core to the film’s identity, returning at key moments to heighten unease.
There are plenty of reasons “Dream Eater” shouldn’t feel fresh. It cycles through familiar horror tropes, yet somehow finds pockets of originality. Not all of it works, but the performance from Williams and a chilling final act help carry it through. It might have been done better elsewhere, but this cabin-in-the-woods nightmare remains a decent way to spend 90 minutes.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
