Brainstorm Media releases Brandon Auman’s psychological thriller Sleepwalker in select cinemas and on demand on January 9, 2026.
Starring Golden Globe nominee Hayden Panettiere (the Scream franchise, Heroes), the film is a feature adaptation of Auman’s 2024 short film, centred on Sarah (Panettiere), a mother navigating the wreckage of her life after losing her daughter in a devastating accident that also leaves her abusive husband comatose. As she struggles to regain control, her sleepwalking intensifies, accompanied by disturbing visions that pull her further from any sense of stability. The harder she tries to piece together a future, the deeper she is drawn into a psychological spiral shaped by trauma, guilt, and the shadows lingering in her home.
Co-starring alongside Panettiere are Beverly D’Angelo (National Lampoon’s Vacation, Violent Night) and Justin Chatwin (The Invisible, War of the Worlds).
In anticipation of the film’s release, Scream spoke with Auman about the uneasy overlap between sleep and consciousness, the psychological fallout of trauma and abuse, and the rituals and creative impulses people reach for when their grip on reality begins to slip.
Words: Howard Gorman
