The terrifying phenomenon of sleep paralysis explored in 2015 doc The Nightmare and Phillip Guzman’s upcoming Dead Awake also provides the inspiration for Drew Gabreski’s creeper Be Afraid, which comes to VOD on June 1st. Before then, here are some stills to chew on, along with the film’s poster.
In the film, a family are preyed upon by The Hatman, a figure known in the world of the paranormal as a kind of leader of the Shadow People, and closely associated with sleep paralysis.
Synopsis:
Not long after John Chambers and his family arrive at their new home in a small country town of Pennsylvania, John begins to experience sleep paralysis. Lying there paralyzed, trapped within his own nightmare, other-worldly beings visit John. They are entities which exist in the darkest shadows of the night and can only be seen out of the corner of one’s eye. These encounters begin to haunt John, transforming to complete terror as he discovers the entities’ sole purpose… the abduction of his seven-year-old son. In the end, John will uncover the town’s horrific secret, a portal on his land, and make one last attempt to save his son before the shadow people permanently take him away to their world.
Brian Krause (Sleepwalkers, Charmed) stars as John, alongside Jaimi Paige (Peacock), Jared Abrahamson (Detour) and Kevin Grevioux (Underworld, I, Frankenstein).
Words: Kevan Farrow (@KevanX)