DREAM EATER
(director/writer: Jay Drakulic, Mallory Drumm, Alex Lee Williams; cinematographer: Michael Caterina; editor: Vigo Vasquez; music: Julian Stirpe; cast: Robin Akimbo (Tammy), Alex Lee Williams (Alex), Mallory Drumm (Mallory), Brittany Drumm (911 operator), Sade Green (Sleepwalker), Dainty Smith (Dr. Snape), David Richard (Dr. Armitage, crypto historian); Runtime: 90; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Jay Drakulic,Thomas Chambers, Mallory Drumm; The Horror Section/Blind Luck Pictures; 2025-Canada)
“It left me with a cold feeling.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
A clumsily made, slow-paced and far-fetched low-budget conventional scary found-footage horror pic written and directed by Jay Drakulic (“Escape the Night”/”Helmington”) and first-timers Mallory Drumm, and Alex Lee Williams. It’s the second film released by The Horror Section studio of Eli Roth.
The struggling financially bickering lovers Mallory (Mallory Drumm) and Alex (Alex Lee Williams) are Canadians, who flee to a remote rental cabin in the snowy Laurentian Mountains outside of Montreal for 10 days to celebrate Alex’s 30th birthday and to relax while dealing with Alex’s sleepwalking problems.
Dr. Snape (Dainty Smith), Alex’s therapist, suggests that the unemployed stage technician have his independent documentary filmmaker girlfriend record him on video to see if they can better understand his parasomnia problems (sleepwalking & nightmares) by observing his behavior on tape.
When Alex’s sleepwalking and nightmare incidents get more intense and he turns from a nice guy to a menacing one, Mallory investigates what has gone wrong. She talks on the phone with his foster sister Tammy (Robin Akimbo) about his childhood and with a paranormal expert author Dr. Armitage (David Richard), who she finds on the internet. He tells her on a zoom call that Alex may be possessed by an ancient entity. That’s the excuse needed for some outlandish demonic incidents to take place during the third-act, while the couple is still in their rental cabin they foolishly won’t leave even when realizing it’s haunted.
Maybe fans of “The Blair Witchcraft Project” film might buy into this schlocky found-footage horror pic. But I found it to be poorly acted, uninspiring, and mediocre. It left me with a cold feeling.
It played at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival.
REVIEWED ON 11/10/2025 GRADE: C
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