Dream Eater (2025) Movie Script
1
Mallory, what's happening?
Alex, come back!
Possible 148 in progress.
- Alex!
- All units, please respond.
Rolling.
Rolling? Do you want me
to slate it for you?
Tell me what you remember
from the other night.
There's gonna be
a lower third, right?
With my name and info.
Stop being a dick.
Yeah, if I'm being a dick now,
it's just because this whole
thing is pretty pointless.
The doctor
told us to record
any parasomnia you experience
and what you remember
from each episode.
This is important, Alex.
Gee, if it's important...
Besides waking up in a pool
of my own piss and blood,
I really don't
remember much, so...
if it's all the same to you,
I'm just gonna
keep on packing.
Oh, no, don't worry, I got it.
I told you
we should make two trips.
Never.
Fucking mother!
You know,
for a guy with no job,
you really need a vacation.
So funny!
Here we go.
So, where are we going?
Well, my beautiful,
voluptuous girlfriend...
uh, has planned a trip.
Ten days of nothing
but sucking and fucking.
- We call it the fuck cabin.
- No.
This is the first time we're
going away for your birthday.
- Are you excited?
- So excited.
Oh, yeah.
Look at all that excitement,
ladies and gentlemen.
Are you gonna be shooting me
this whole time
like I'm the star
of one of your documentaries?
Well, Alex, the people
have a right to know.
Yeah, very cute.
Wow.
This is so beautiful.
Yeah, it's like
our very own overlook.
Jesus,
look at this thing.
It's bigger
than our apartment.
You know, we'll never be able
to afford a house,
but I could see us living
in a cute shed somewhere.
You know what a shed
goes for these days?
We don't got shed money.
A girl can dream.
What the hell is this thing?
Coming up next
on Haunted Playgrounds...
You're an idiot.
The kids in Chernobyl
would love this.
This piece of shit's
about to fall over.
What are you
talking about? It looks fine.
Yeah, on the outside.
It's what you can't see
you gotta worry about.
Front door open.
"Dear guests..." That's us!
"Welcome to our cozy cabin.
A few things to know.
When you arrive,
turn on the hot-water tank
located in the crawl space
under the house."
That'll be your job.
"If you experience a blackout,
don't panic.
It should turn on
after a few minutes.
If not,
reset the circuit breaker,
also in the crawl space."
Rolling blackouts.
That sounds fun.
You said go cheap,
and this was
the cheapest place
without an outhouse.
Front door open.
Hey, you think this is it?
Oh, yeah.
Just as I thought.
Structural damage.
Yo, this is bad.
- After you.
- Not in a million years.
Oh, I have to do
everything myself.
When it comes to
creepy crawl spaces,
yeah, you do.
What happened
to equal rights?
Is everything OK?
Don't do that!
Oh, I'm sorry.
I must have been sleepwalking.
Asshole.
Hello.
This place is huge.
I'm obsessed with this oven.
What?
Turn it off!
An outhouse
would have been bigger.
Don't blame me.
I wanted to go to Costa Rica.
Yeah,
after we win the lottery.
So, what do you think?
What's wrong?
I mean...
It seems like we're spending
a lot of money on...
this place.
Look, this year's been tough
on the both of us.
But we need this trip, Alex.
And we have savings
we can pull from if needed.
Plus, the doctor said
some time
away might be good for you.
So, please try
and have some fun.
- OK.
- OK.
Fancy camera.
Bit overkill, don't you think?
Just don't break it.
Yeah, yeah.
Oof! Not bad at all.
Will you quit filming my ass
and get the milk, please?
Well,
what do we have here?
Don't you dare touch that
until your birthday.
I'm serious.
Cake or ass, Mallory.
I'm eating one of 'em tonight.
Oh, my God, Alex.
Alex.
He's here.
He's with me.
Alex.
-I need you to go back to bed.
-Who is that?
Is someone there?
It's just me.
There's nobody there.
Alex, can you hear me?
Baby, I need you
to go back to bed.
Everything's OK.
Shh, shh, shh, shh. You're OK.
I'm right here.
Shh. Everything's OK.
Doctors! Can't even be on time
for a fucking Zoom call.
She's giving us a discount
since we don't have insurance,
so be nice.
No. It's because she wants
to use me for her next book.
She already...told us
that she was writing one.
She just wants to help.
- Hey, Dr Snape.
- Sorry I'm late.
I got caught up
with another patient.
How was your first night
at the cabin?
Oh, uh, fine.
Nothing to, uh, report.
Well, that's not
entirely true.
Uh, Alex was sitting up in bed
last night,
talking to himself.
Did you get it on camera?
Yeah, I got it.
Have you experienced
other episodes of parasomnia
since we last spoke?
No, I don't think so.
Well, we've got you
scheduled for
a sleep study
three weeks from now,
which will hopefully yield
some results.
Yeah, and, Doc, uh...
how much is this thing
gonna cost us?
Typically,
it's around 5,000,
but due to
your financial circumstances,
we'll do what we can
to reduce the cost.
However,
you are responsible
for any medications
you're prescribed afterwards.
And are we sure that
this is absolutely necessary?
During episodes of parasomnia,
individuals such as yourself
are in what's known
as a dissociative state,
meaning you have
no cognitive awareness
of your environment
or your actions.
While people do sleepwalk,
very rarely
do they lash out violently
like you did last week.
A sleep study is the only way
to determine the cause.
Yeah, but, like, what if it's
just a one-time thing?
And if it's not?
Alex, are you aware
that people with your disorder
have killed
their bed partners?
Are either of you willing
to take that risk?
Any luck tracking down
your family's medical history?
Uh, no. No, no luck yet.
Parasomnia is hereditary,
so it is important to find out
if anyone in your family
has experienced it before.
OK, yeah, I'll look into it.
I'm at a conference next week.
If you need anything, I'll
respond when I'm back in town.
And remember,
keep the camera rolling.
Mallory,
it's vital that you capture
as much footage as possible.
Will do.
Thank you, Dr Snape.
We really appreciate
your help.
That Dr Snape,
she's about as cuddly
as a cactus, huh?
Well,
she's all we can afford.
Still, the sleep clinic's
gonna cost a fortune.
Maybe I should sell a kidney.
Have you thought
about going back to lighting?
Rohan said you're
always welcome on his crew.
When did you talk to Rohan?
I told you, we're working
on the same show together.
Right.
Well, thanks, but no thanks.
I'm done working with
those egotistical assholes.
Whoa! Check this out.
-Aw. Poor little guy.
-Maybe his bed partner did it.
Ha, ha. Very funny.
Think we should bury it?
Bury it? What the hell
are you talking about?
I don't know. I feel bad
leaving him like this.
Don't feel bad. It's nature.
Come on, let's just go.
Crikey.
One sexy fucking Sheila
must have left this print.
Let's see where she went.
Ah.
Mallory Bear pissing in the
woods, just as God intended.
I can't go
when you're filming me.
My, my! That's one
sexy fucking Sheila.
Stop!
Careful, now.
The Mallory Bear's charging!
She's been challenged.
- Mating season begins.
- Fuck off.
Alex!
What?
You OK? What's wrong?
- Look.
- You freaked out over that?
You almost gave me
a heart attack.
What's wrong with you?
Read it.
Whoa. Weird.
It's really creepy.
Do you think previous renters
left it or something?
- You know what?
- What?
Maybe the person that wrote it
is still in the house.
- Oh!
- Get the fuck out of here!
We're coming
to get you, Mallory!
I'm grabbing your ass.
I'm grabbing your ass.
I can see you. I can see you.
Mother, is that you?
Alex.
- Alex.
- Can you hear that?
- Hear what?
- He's under the house.
- Who's under the house?
- He's trying to get inside.
There's no one there, baby.
You're just having
a bad dream.
He's under the house.
We're not safe here.
- Babe...
- We... We need to go.
- No, everything's OK.
- We need...
Babe, you're just
having a bad dream.
Please come back to bed.
No, he... He...
He's... He's... He's here.
He's here. He's under
the house. He knows.
- There's nobody here.
- No, he knows.
- Babe...
- He knows.
- No.
- He knows.
Don't do that. Stop, please.
Come back to bed.
No, it's OK. Everything's OK.
OK, please.
Please come back to bed.
Just lie down.
Everything's OK.
Everything's OK. Shh.
You're OK.
Don't leave me alone with him.
Not alone with him.
- I'm not going anywhere.
- Don't leave.
I'm right here with you, babe.
I'm right here.
It's OK. It's OK.
Shh. It's OK.
You're OK. You're OK.
Babe, I'm right here. Shh.
You're OK.
Alex, breakfast is ready.
This looks great. Thank you.
How are you feeling
this morning?
Uh, fine, yeah. You?
Yeah. You, um, had
a pretty rough night
last night.
I feel fine.
OK. You just seemed to be
really scared of something,
so I just wanna make sure
you still feel good
about being up here.
- Can we get our money back?
- Doubt it.
Then I feel great
about being up here.
Plus, I didn't drive
ten hours in the snow
just to go right back, so...
OK, great.
You gonna call your mom today?
I wasn't planning on it.
But you told Dr Snape
you would.
Come on, Alex.
This is important.
She's not gonna know anything.
Have you ever tried talking
to her about your parents?
Don't call them my parents.
OK, fine. I just...
I don't understand
why you're so against this
when it could help you.
Are you listening to me?
Can we please stop
talking about it?
I will make the call.
OK. Sorry.
Can we please turn off
the camera for a second?
I feel like
I'm on The Surreal Life.
How's it going?
Some help would be nice.
Well, maybe later.
Instead, you're getting high
like a degenerate!
Whoo-hoo!
- You wanna play that game?
- Yeah. Are you ready?
And the crowd goes wild.
Did you find one?
Well, there's not
a whole
lot to choose from here.
Pick anything.
How about "Stop Me"
by Filthy Billy Myers?
Uh, Filthy Billy Myers?
Yes, please.
All right,
let's turn it up to 11.
Filthy Billy don't know
What he'll do to you
Some interesting lyrics.
Yeah, no, I think
I can get on board with this.
- What are those dance moves?
- Oh, what, this?
I'm just giving 'em
something to see.
Huh? You like that?
Like that,
you fucking weirdos?
You're the weirdo.
Mm. We should make this
our new song.
Oh, yeah, we should play it
at our wedding.
Yeah, your mom
would love that.
You know what I love?
- Me?
- Yeah.
And that cute
little tush of yours.
Oh, this old thing?
Alex,
turn down the music!
Yeah,
you can try to stop me...
Great. Fucking fuse.
Filthy Billy does
what he chooses to do
Yeah, try to stop me
You can try to stop me
- Alex?
- Try to stop me
Try to stop me
Try to stop me
Try to stop me
Try to stop me
Try to stop me
Try to stop me
Babe.
What the hell?
Where are you?
Oh, shit! You scared me.
What are you doing down here?
He won't let me sleep.
He told me to let him in.
Babe, you're having
a bad dream.
He's here.
Is it the man
from under the house?
Where is he now?
Behind you.
Shit!
Alex.
Is it the man
from under the house?
Where is he now?
Behind you.
Shit!
Alex.
Uh...
I don't remember any of that.
You're sure we can't fix it?
No. It was
a crystal dreamcatcher.
Fuck. That is
a really thoughtful gift.
I figured you could use it.
You talked about a man
being in the house last night.
Do you remember
having a nightmare?
Yeah, kinda.
Care to elaborate?
There was this thing,
um, by the door.
Do you remember
what it looked like?
It looked like a skeleton
and it had, like, snakes
growing out of its face,
but not snakes, you know?
It sounds terrifying.
Probably just watching
too much Lovecraft Country.
Right.
I'm gonna go fix the fuses.
OK.
Mal, I'm really sorry.
It's OK.
Alex, come look at this!
- Can't. Doing man stuff.
- It'll only take a second.
Come here. OK, sit down.
You're not gonna believe this.
Oh!
Does that look like the thing
you saw in your dream
last night?
Yeah, it kinda does, actually.
OK, so get this.
There are people
who suffer from
the same parasomnia as you do,
apparently seeing this in
their dream night after night.
OK.
And there's a sleep therapist,
Dr Armitage,
who even wrote a book about it
called The Blackened Dream.
I ordered a copy, but it
doesn't come till next month.
So, what do you think?
- What do I think about what?
- All of it.
Uh, it's...
Yeah, like, it's a...
It's a neat story.
OK, but it can't
just be a coincidence.
What if it's, like,
a shared hallucination
people with
your disorder have?
And if it is?
I think we should call Dr
Armitage and ask him about it.
- No. Oh, God. Absolutely not.
- Why not?
Because I don't need
a second opinion
from fucking Dr Van Helsing.
But what if
he could help?
Mal, the guy writes about
dream monsters.
He's not gonna
be able to help.
OK, well, we should
at least tell Dr Snape.
Mal, look,
I get that this would be
a really cool plot twist
to whatever story
you're trying to cook up here,
but I'm definitely not gonna
get all worked up
over some fucking...
hocus-pocus bullshit,
and, honestly, I don't
think you should either.
- OK, fine.
- OK, fine.
You've been filming a lot
since we got up here.
I don't know if it's
the fresh air
or the beautiful location,
but I've been
feeling inspired lately.
It's got me thinking
about my next doc.
- Yeah, I bet it has.
- What was that?
Nothing.
Anyway,
I have a few ideas in mind,
but I wanna get started soon.
Is now
really the best time?
Why not?
We're not exactly
flush with cash
and, frankly, your last film
cost us more than it made.
You're saying
I should give up?
What about that gig
Jordan offered you?
That's a great opportunity.
It's for a DIT position.
Not only is that a demotion,
but I'd be gone
for three months at least.
It's steady money.
Or you could go back
to the union.
I told you I'm not doing that.
OK, I get it.
So, you get to do
whatever you want,
while I have to be the one
to take care of
our responsibilities?
How is that fair?
What are you talking about?
Coming up
to the cabin was your idea.
I didn't wanna waste
the money,
but I still said yes.
What?
- Forget it.
- Come on, don't be like that.
Hey, Jordan.
How's it going?
Good. How are things going
over there?
I was wondering when you
needed an answer about that.
No, look,
it's a great opportunity,
and I definitely still wanna
talk to Alex about it,
but, um, I'm also hoping
to get started on my next doc,
so I'm just trying
to figure out,
I guess,
priorities and everything.
Yeah, no, it's
definitely a great project.
If you wouldn't mind giving me
some extra time,
that would be great.
Hey, Mallory.
You know what? Can I call
you back? OK. Thanks, Jordan.
Alex?
Better not have your dick
in your hands.
What are you doing?
Wanna see something funny?
No, no, no, no!
What are you doing? Stop!
What's going on?
You just tried
putting your hand
down the fucking
garbage disposal.
- I did?
- Yes.
And you called me in here
to watch you do it.
Oh, my God.
Alex, we need to get you help.
I... I can't keep doing this.
I don't... I don't feel good.
I need...
I need to go lie down.
I am getting
drunk AF tonight.
- Yeah, y'are!
- Mm-hm!
Seriously, though, thanks
for saving my ass today.
I'm just glad
I got there in time.
Mm-hm.
Things almost got out of hand
for a minute.
So funny, so funny.
Seriously, though,
if I had a hook for a hand,
like Candyman,
would you still love me?
I mean, it would be
a little difficult
to, like, fool around.
But I'm sure
we'd figure it out.
Honestly, I'd rather you have
no hand than a hook,
if I'm being honest.
Ooh, yeah,
then I could stump you.
Never say
those words to me again.
You say stump, I say how hard?
Get the fuck out of here.
Shh.
You're gonna wake her up.
So pretty.
So nice.
What?
OK, I'm coming.
Front door open.
OK.
What do you wanna play?
That was funny.
OK. Coming.
Wait, where'd you go?
Oh, OK.
Hello, Alex.
Hi.
Come inside.
It's warm here.
I've been waiting for you.
I'm scared.
I don't wanna
be here anymore.
It's too late.
The black sun rises.
Morning.
I am never drinking again.
You must have had
a good night.
I didn't hear you
get up at all.
Yeah, I still feel a bit tired
this morning.
I hope you're not too tired.
Oh, not right now.
I just have some chores
I wanna get done.
Chores?
But this isn't our house.
Later, I promise.
Um, there's a fresh pot.
Just help yourself.
Fresh pot my ass.
Hi, Dr Armitage.
Thanks for meeting with me.
- It's my pleasure.
- Sorry about the connection.
My boyfriend and I are
at a cabin in the woods.
It's fine on my end.
So, from reading your email,
it appears your boyfriend,
Alex, has been experiencing
some episodes
of violent parasomnia?
Yes, he has.
How long
has he been sleepwalking?
Um, it started
right after he quit his job.
At first it was small stuff,
like moving objects
in his sleep,
sitting up in bed,
things like that.
And then last week he had
his first violent episode.
Well, stress,
caused by sudden life changes,
can trigger behavioral
disorders to develop,
such as parasomnia.
I can schedule Alex in
for an evaluation if he likes.
He actually doesn't know
I'm speaking with you today.
He's skeptical of doctors,
and I didn't wanna push it.
I never know how he'll react.
React? How do you mean?
Not in a bad way.
It's just that sometimes...
Anyway, that's not
why I wanted to talk to you.
OK. Why did
you wanna talk to me?
This might sound crazy,
but he described this strange
figure he saw in his sleep.
It's almost identical
to something you described
in your book,
The Blackened Dream.
How many times has he seen it?
- Uh, once that I know of.
- Has it spoken to him?
Like, in his dream?
I think so.
So what is this thing,
Dr Armitage?
Is it a shared symptom
people with his disorder have,
like a hallucination
or something?
If Alex truly saw
what I describe in my book,
it was no hallucination.
It's an ancient entity
called Phobetor.
Excuse me?
It goes by many names,
but in Greek mythology
Phobetor was described as a
personification of nightmares.
It was believed to possess
a person through their dreams,
almost like
a sleepwalking zombie,
and, over time,
devour their soul.
Possession?
Like demonic possession?
Precisely.
Has anyone in Alex's family
seen this before?
A parent,
a grandparent, perhaps?
I don't know. Why?
From my experience, it targets
members of the same bloodline,
especially those
suffering from PTSD.
Alex grew up in foster care.
He doesn't like
talking about the experience,
but I think the whole thing
traumatized him.
Trauma is such
a powerful force.
If untreated,
it can slither into
all the facets
of your life, corrupting it,
until, finally,
it transforms you
into something
you never wanted.
It's that negative energy.
It's what that entity
feeds off of.
I'm sorry, but you're talking
about this entity
like it's real.
You don't actually
believe that, do you?
I know this is hard
for you to hear,
but you need
to accept the fact
that we live in a world
that's both seen and unseen,
and part of that unseen world
detests humanity
and wants
to see it destroyed,
both physically
and spiritually.
I'm not surprised
you're in a remote location.
It wants to isolate you.
But coming to the cabin
was my idea.
Now that you're there,
it won't let you leave.
You need to be careful.
Mallory, this entity is
as ancient as it is evil.
Whatever you do,
don't let it get you alone
in the dark.
OK. Thanks, Dr Armitage.
Um, I appreciate your help.
You startled me.
Who were you talking to?
Nobody. I was, um...
I was watching something.
Are you OK? You look pale.
I feel like
I'm getting a migraine.
I brought some Advil.
Why don't you go lie down
and I'll get you some?
Alex, lunch is ready.
Ooh. Looks good.
- How's your headache?
- Better. Thank you.
So, turns out you were right.
- Love hearing that.
- I know you do.
So, what was I right about
this time?
Dr Armitage.
The guy's a total nutjob.
You talked to him?
Yeah, because
I thought he could help.
Turns out
I was very, very wrong.
So, you went behind my back?
You said you didn't wanna
talk to him,
so I gave him a call
to see what he knew.
You betrayed me.
Betrayed you?
That's ridiculous.
Where are you going?
Come on, Alex. I don't see
what the big deal is.
Yeah, that's the problem.
Front door open.
You've been gone a while.
Dinner's in the fridge.
I'm sorry I got angry.
Me too. I didn't mean
to upset you like that.
I was just trying to help.
I just haven't felt
like myself lately.
You know you can always
talk to me about it, right?
I know.
What's that on your hands?
Oh, I, uh... I was just doing
some work outside.
OK, well, make sure
you wash them before you eat.
Yes, Mother.
What are you doing?
Come back to bed.
What looked like morning
was the start of
an endless night.
What?
Not again.
Alex.
Alex.
Kitchen door open.
Alex, what...
Alex!
Oh, my God!
What did you do?
Stop!
Alex!
Baby, please calm down.
He's here.
He's not, Alex.
It's just me. See?
There's nobody there. Please
calm down, baby. Please.
Please don't.
I'm right here.
I'm right here.
Alex.
Alex.
When you're awake,
you're awake for eternity.
What?
How's the cabin?
It's OK. Not as romantic
as I was hoping.
Why?
What's wrong?
Your brother's sleepwalking
is getting worse.
What does
the doctor say?
It's actually why I wanted
to talk to you.
They need to know about
his family's medical history.
Oh, well, you should ask
my mom about that.
I left a voicemail,
but I haven't heard back yet.
And you know Alex. He never
wants to talk about the past.
Well, it's not hard
to get why, right?
Like, the poor kid...
Like, what he went through
was just...
When he first came to us,
he couldn't even
make eye contact.
I know, but this information
could really help.
So you want me to talk to him?
Actually, I was hoping
you might know something.
Has your mom ever told you
about his biological parents?
Mal, I don't think Alex
would want us
talking about him like this.
Tammy, his sleepwalking
is getting really scary.
Last night
he tore apart the kitchen.
And the other day,
he tried putting
his hand down
a garbage disposal.
Lord Almighty.
And on top of what happened
a few months ago...
I'm really worried about him.
Wait, he told me
that was an accident.
Do you know anything
that might help?
Look, I'm a Christian woman,
OK? So this is hard for me.
My mom told me that...
his parents
were part of a cult.
A cult?
What kind of cult?
Like a Manson-type cult.
Did she say anything else?
No, that's all she said.
Do you know their names?
Mal, I don't think...
Tammy, please.
His mom's name...
...is Catherine Thorne.
That's all my mom said.
Anything else, you'll
have to talk to her or Alex.
No, that's all I needed.
And it goes without saying,
you and I
never had this conversation.
What conversation?
You're the best.
Well, just remember that
when you're picking out
a name for my niece.
You got it. Thanks, Tammy.
Catherine Thorne...
I'm just getting
too old for this shit.
Because
you're barely sleeping.
- Can I ask you something?
- What?
Have you ever wanted to know
who your
biological parents are,
even for yourself?
Not this shit again.
Come on, this is what
couples do. They share.
You know everything about me.
Is this about that demon guy?
No, I told you,
that guy's a nutjob.
Let me
ask you something.
If some worthless scumbags
abandoned you as a baby,
would you wanna know
who they were?
Yeah, I think I'd wanna know.
It's better to know where you
come from than be in the dark.
Good for you.
What about when our kids wanna
know more about their dad?
What are you gonna tell them?
- I'm done talking about this.
- But you never wanna talk.
That's the problem.
OK.
You wanna talk?
You wanna share?
Let's share.
I don't wanna know anything
about those people.
I don't give a fuck
if they're alive or dead.
In fact,
I hope they're rotting in hell
for what they did to me. OK?
And just because
nothing interesting
has ever happened in your life
does not mean that
you get to live through me.
So, from now on, stop asking
these pointless
fucking questions.
OK? Do you think
you can handle that?
Alex.
Sorry. Uh...
I don't, uh...
I don't know what that was.
I didn't mean to snap.
I just...
I just need
to go at my own pace.
OK.
I'm sorry. I'll...
I'll just never speak to you
like that again.
I brought you something.
Thanks.
Can we talk?
Sure.
You know how you talk about
family trips to Nominingue
and your dad
taking you to the movies or...
...the family gathered
around the table,
talking about their day?
Just normal family stuff.
Yeah.
I never had any of that.
There were no vacations.
No family dinners.
It was just surviving.
I wanna open up more to you.
I really do.
But... when I think
about my childhood...
I'm just right back
in that place.
Just a scared little kid
who feels trapped.
I guess
what I'm trying to say is...
I want to be
more open with you.
Because I need to get better.
OK.
I just don't wanna lose you.
You'll never lose me.
Think there's room
for one more?
There's barely room
in here for me.
We'll see about that.
Get outta here!
So pretty.
So nice.
What was that?
Alex?
Is that you?
Alex?
Mommy.
Are you fucking
kidding me right now?
What are you doing
down there? Come back to bed.
This shit's getting old, Alex.
Come back to bed.
I'm fine, by the way.
Oh, fuck.
Alex?
Alex.
The black sun rises.
Uh, hello? Earth to Alex.
Please come in.
What?
Didn't you hear me
calling you?
- No.
- What are you doing out here?
I just came out
to get some air.
You got that black shit
on your hands again.
Yeah, I was
cleaning out the fire pit.
- Are you OK?
- Yeah. Stop asking me that.
Sorry.
You hear that?
Hear what?
That.
- I don't hear...
- Shut up.
It sounds like a baby crying.
It's gone.
- You really didn't hear that?
- No, I didn't hear anything.
Weird.
Come on,
it's getting bad out here.
Let's go back to the cabin
and I'll make breakfast.
No, you, uh...
you go ahead.
I'm just gonna
stay out a little longer.
OK.
I can't believe this.
I did a search for the name
Catherine Thorne
and I found this.
Have you ever gone to bed
and woken up in
a different room of the house
but you don't remember
how you got there?
If so, tonight's tale
will truly terrify you.
It's the story of
Catherine Thorne
and the shadowy
Night's Disciples.
When local police arrived
to the Erebus Ranch
on February 13th 1993,
the only survivor present was
32-year-old Catherine Thorne
who had joined the Night's
Disciples one year prior.
Of the seven other cult
members living at the ranch,
each had their throats cut
and suffered
blunt-force trauma,
including Mrs Thorne's husband
and cult leader, Jerry Thorne.
Mrs Thorne was in labor when
police arrived to the scene.
She was rushed to hospital
where the baby was delivered
via emergency cesarean.
She told officers
Mr Thorne
and the other cult members
raped her
during a breeding ritual,
which is how
she became pregnant.
Mrs Thorne didn't deny
committing the murders
but maintained
she had no recollection
as she was sleepwalking
when they occurred.
Before she could be arraigned,
Mrs Thorne was found
hung in her cell
from an apparent suicide.
Scratched on the wall next to
her body were the words:
endless night.
I remember
Alex saying something
about the morning being
the start to an endless night,
so I went back through
the footage, and I found this.
I don't wanna be here anymore.
It's too late.
The black sun rises.
This is just so fucked up.
I can't even...
Hm.
Mm!
Something smells good in here.
Your dinner's getting cold.
It'll still be cold
when we're finished.
Not right now.
Where have you been all day?
Just been
enjoying the scenery.
You know, you were right.
This place is beautiful.
In fact,
I have a surprise for you.
We're staying.
- We are?
- Uh-huh.
I already
talked to the owners.
We got it for another week.
It's all done.
I really wish you would have
talked to me about that first.
What's wrong?
I thought you'd be happy.
I think we should
go home tomorrow.
- You're unbelievable.
- Excuse me?
Coming up here was your idea.
And I went along with it.
And the second
that I start to enjoy myself,
the second
that I start to feel better,
you just wanna leave.
I don't get
what you want from me.
I want you to get help.
Oh, what is it about me
that needs help?
Why can't I just
be left the fuck alone?
Your sleepwalking
is getting really bad
and I'm worried about you.
It's sleepwalking.
It's not the end of the world.
Alex, look at your arm.
It was an accident.
Like what happened
in the garage?
Hey!
Where are you going?
Alex!
Front door open.
Alex?
Shit.
It's freezing out here.
Alex! Where are you?
Oh, fuck.
What are you doing down there?
You're gonna freeze to death.
Alex, please say something.
Alex!
Alex, please wake up!
Can you hear me?
Please, baby.
I need you to wake up.
What the fuck
are you looking at?
You like filming me, bitch?
Alex, please stop.
This isn't you.
"Oh, Alex, please stop.
This isn't you."
No, no.
No, no, no. No.
No, no, no, no.
God, please turn on.
Please turn on.
Please turn on.
Do you love me, Mallory?
Oh, God,
this isn't happening.
This isn't happening to me.
Please.
He wants us
to be together.
Just put the camera down,
and let him in.
Alex, please!
You need to wake up!
If you don't,
he'll make me shove a razor
wire up your bitch cunt!
Oh!
Oh, God!
Oh, God! Oh, God!
Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
What's happening?
Mallory, please,
can you open the door?
Mallory, please,
open the door.
Is it really you?
Open the door!
What are you doing?
I can't!
Mallory, please,
open the door.
Mallory. Mallory, it's me.
It's me. Open the door.
I can't.
Mallory, open the door.
Mallory, open the door!
Please, please.
It's freezing. Please.
Oh, my God. What the fuck?
- What the fuck happened?
- I don't know.
What the fuck
was I doing outside?
Mallory...
- No, don't touch me!
- Stop! Stop it!
Mallory, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry. Please.
Look, I'm awake now.
Look at me.
I can't keep doing this, Alex.
Look. I'm awake now.
I'm awake now.
I'm awake now.
I don't wanna
be here anymore.
It's too late.
The black sun rises.
I don't remember any of that.
We can't wait three weeks
for the sleep clinic.
You need help
sooner than that.
What are we supposed to do?
It's not like
I can go to a hospital.
You need to call Dr Armitage.
I thought you said
that guy's a nut.
I was wrong.
I think he can help you.
This is so fucking crazy.
There's something else
I need to tell you.
I talked to your sister.
What?
I'm sorry.
I knew you weren't going to,
so I called her
to ask about your parents.
After everything,
you still went behind my back?
Alex, listen to me.
Your mother killed your father
while she was sleepwalking.
What?
Along with six other people.
She was part of a cult
that targeted vulnerable women
who suffered from PTSD
and parasomnia.
This could be someone else
with the same name.
Like, you don't know.
The woman in the article
gave birth
the same night you were born.
Thirty years ago today.
Alex,
this isn't a coincidence.
You've been planning this.
Planning what?
All of it. This has just been
a fucking setup
from the start.
You're using me
for your next doc.
You said so yourself.
That doesn't make any sense.
I only started filming you
after Dr Snape asked me to.
Have you ever stopped for
one second to ask yourself:
why am I filming him even
when he's not sleepwalking?
Why the fuck did you bring
your $6,000 camera
instead of just using
your fucking phone?
Because I was
trying to help you.
Bullshit!
OK, you wanna know the truth?
I started doing all of this
because I was afraid for you.
Afraid you'd hurt yourself,
or worse.
Like when you tried to kill
yourself seven months ago.
That was an accident.
Oh, my God.
After all this,
you still can't admit it.
Alex, who falls asleep
with the car running
in the garage by accident?
I thought I could save you.
If I loved you hard enough
that I could fix things.
But I can't.
For years I have been putting
your needs in front of my own
and I can't do that anymore.
I need to start
thinking about myself.
Because the truth is, I'm not
afraid for you anymore.
I'm afraid of you.
You're afraid of me?
Yes, I am.
I'm sorry you're
going through all of this,
but you're sick, Alex,
and you need help.
So, what do we do?
We have to get out
of this cabin.
Things have been getting worse
since the day we arrived.
- OK.
- OK? OK.
I'll start packing the car.
Happy birthday, baby.
Everything's gonna be OK.
Babe. Come on, we need to go.
Alex, wake up.
Alex.
- What time is it?
- It's two o'clock.
Come on, we have to go.
I need to sleep.
You can sleep in the car.
Let's go.
- Let's go tomorrow.
- No, we have to go now.
Just one more night.
No. Alex, wake up.
Alex.
Babe, come on, we have to go.
Alex!
Fuck.
So, I reviewed the information
you sent me regarding
Catherine Thorne.
Mallory, what do you know
about the Night's Disciples?
They were a cult that preyed
on women for sexual purposes.
But did you also know
that they worshipped Phobetor
whom they call
the Eater of Dreams?
The reason they targeted women
suffering from
parasomnia and PTSD
was so that they could
impregnate them
through a breeding ritual.
They believed that
when the child
born of the ritual turned 30,
it would become
the Dream Walker,
a permanent sleepwalking host
for the Eater of Dreams
to possess.
And they referred to
this metamorphosis
as the black sun rising.
Today's Alex's 30th birthday.
Mallory, if Catherine Thorne
is in fact
Alex's biological mother,
that means
he's the Dream Walker.
But that's not possible.
Don't underestimate the forces
in this world you cannot see.
Come on, this is crazy.
Has Alex displayed
any violent behavior
since we last spoke?
Last night I found him
sleepwalking
in the crawl space
under the house.
He told me he'd hurt me
if I didn't stop filming him.
Were you filming him
at the time?
Yeah. His sleep therapist
wanted me
to document
all of his episodes.
And he made direct reference
to the fact that
you were filming him?
Yeah. Why?
Then he could not have been
in a dissociative state.
He had to be aware
of his surroundings.
I don't understand.
That means he was awake
when he said it.
No, you're wrong. Alex would
never talk to me like that.
Because that wasn't Alex
speaking to you.
Listen to me very carefully,
Mallory.
You need to get out of that
house as fast as you can.
You're not safe with him.
Hello? Dr Armitage?
Oh, my God. What's going on?
Alex, wake up! We need to go!
Alex!
Alex!
Alex, we need to...
Alex?
Oh, my God.
What the fuck was that?
Oh, God.
Oh, my God.
Fuck.
Where are the keys?
I know they're here.
The keys...
Where are they?
Alex?
Oh, my God.
Whoo!
Please wake up!
This isn't you!
Mallory...
There you are.
Alex, wake up!
Don't worry, sweetheart.
I'm awake now.
Oh, my God.
Oh, God,
this isn't happening to me.
She's in the closet.
Behold.
The black sun rises.
No!
Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
Oh, my God. I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry. Oh, my God.
Oh, my God. I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.
- It's not your fault.
- Don't move.
Don't move. I'm gonna
get help. Just stay here.
911 Emergency...
Hello, yes.
Please, I need help.
What are you doing? No. No.
- It's OK.
- It's too late.
No.
They can fix you.
No, not this time.
Yes. Please. Please.
Alex...
I can't do this without you.
Please. You're OK.
Everything's fine. Please.
I can't lose you.
You'll never lose me.
Oh. It's OK.
Please. No.
Leave a message
and I'll call you back.
Hey, Mal. It's Jordan.
I, uh... hope you're doing OK.
I can only imagine
how hard
this has all been on you.
Look, I don't want this
to come off
the wrong way, but...
I just think you've got
something special here.
You've got something real.
If we shape the footage right,
I'm telling you,
this project
could launch your career.
I know you blame yourself
for what happened.
But I really think
you could still
pull something
from this tragedy.
It's not gonna
bring Alex back, but...
I mean, who knows, maybe it'll
help you make sense of it.
Listen, I've got
some investors lined up,
but they're not gonna
wait around forever, Mal.
Anyways, please call me.
I'd really love
to hear from you.
Oh, my God.
You'll never lose me.
Mallory, what's happening?
Alex, come back!
Possible 148 in progress.
- Alex!
- All units, please respond.
Rolling.
Rolling? Do you want me
to slate it for you?
Tell me what you remember
from the other night.
There's gonna be
a lower third, right?
With my name and info.
Stop being a dick.
Yeah, if I'm being a dick now,
it's just because this whole
thing is pretty pointless.
The doctor
told us to record
any parasomnia you experience
and what you remember
from each episode.
This is important, Alex.
Gee, if it's important...
Besides waking up in a pool
of my own piss and blood,
I really don't
remember much, so...
if it's all the same to you,
I'm just gonna
keep on packing.
Oh, no, don't worry, I got it.
I told you
we should make two trips.
Never.
Fucking mother!
You know,
for a guy with no job,
you really need a vacation.
So funny!
Here we go.
So, where are we going?
Well, my beautiful,
voluptuous girlfriend...
uh, has planned a trip.
Ten days of nothing
but sucking and fucking.
- We call it the fuck cabin.
- No.
This is the first time we're
going away for your birthday.
- Are you excited?
- So excited.
Oh, yeah.
Look at all that excitement,
ladies and gentlemen.
Are you gonna be shooting me
this whole time
like I'm the star
of one of your documentaries?
Well, Alex, the people
have a right to know.
Yeah, very cute.
Wow.
This is so beautiful.
Yeah, it's like
our very own overlook.
Jesus,
look at this thing.
It's bigger
than our apartment.
You know, we'll never be able
to afford a house,
but I could see us living
in a cute shed somewhere.
You know what a shed
goes for these days?
We don't got shed money.
A girl can dream.
What the hell is this thing?
Coming up next
on Haunted Playgrounds...
You're an idiot.
The kids in Chernobyl
would love this.
This piece of shit's
about to fall over.
What are you
talking about? It looks fine.
Yeah, on the outside.
It's what you can't see
you gotta worry about.
Front door open.
"Dear guests..." That's us!
"Welcome to our cozy cabin.
A few things to know.
When you arrive,
turn on the hot-water tank
located in the crawl space
under the house."
That'll be your job.
"If you experience a blackout,
don't panic.
It should turn on
after a few minutes.
If not,
reset the circuit breaker,
also in the crawl space."
Rolling blackouts.
That sounds fun.
You said go cheap,
and this was
the cheapest place
without an outhouse.
Front door open.
Hey, you think this is it?
Oh, yeah.
Just as I thought.
Structural damage.
Yo, this is bad.
- After you.
- Not in a million years.
Oh, I have to do
everything myself.
When it comes to
creepy crawl spaces,
yeah, you do.
What happened
to equal rights?
Is everything OK?
Don't do that!
Oh, I'm sorry.
I must have been sleepwalking.
Asshole.
Hello.
This place is huge.
I'm obsessed with this oven.
What?
Turn it off!
An outhouse
would have been bigger.
Don't blame me.
I wanted to go to Costa Rica.
Yeah,
after we win the lottery.
So, what do you think?
What's wrong?
I mean...
It seems like we're spending
a lot of money on...
this place.
Look, this year's been tough
on the both of us.
But we need this trip, Alex.
And we have savings
we can pull from if needed.
Plus, the doctor said
some time
away might be good for you.
So, please try
and have some fun.
- OK.
- OK.
Fancy camera.
Bit overkill, don't you think?
Just don't break it.
Yeah, yeah.
Oof! Not bad at all.
Will you quit filming my ass
and get the milk, please?
Well,
what do we have here?
Don't you dare touch that
until your birthday.
I'm serious.
Cake or ass, Mallory.
I'm eating one of 'em tonight.
Oh, my God, Alex.
Alex.
He's here.
He's with me.
Alex.
-I need you to go back to bed.
-Who is that?
Is someone there?
It's just me.
There's nobody there.
Alex, can you hear me?
Baby, I need you
to go back to bed.
Everything's OK.
Shh, shh, shh, shh. You're OK.
I'm right here.
Shh. Everything's OK.
Doctors! Can't even be on time
for a fucking Zoom call.
She's giving us a discount
since we don't have insurance,
so be nice.
No. It's because she wants
to use me for her next book.
She already...told us
that she was writing one.
She just wants to help.
- Hey, Dr Snape.
- Sorry I'm late.
I got caught up
with another patient.
How was your first night
at the cabin?
Oh, uh, fine.
Nothing to, uh, report.
Well, that's not
entirely true.
Uh, Alex was sitting up in bed
last night,
talking to himself.
Did you get it on camera?
Yeah, I got it.
Have you experienced
other episodes of parasomnia
since we last spoke?
No, I don't think so.
Well, we've got you
scheduled for
a sleep study
three weeks from now,
which will hopefully yield
some results.
Yeah, and, Doc, uh...
how much is this thing
gonna cost us?
Typically,
it's around 5,000,
but due to
your financial circumstances,
we'll do what we can
to reduce the cost.
However,
you are responsible
for any medications
you're prescribed afterwards.
And are we sure that
this is absolutely necessary?
During episodes of parasomnia,
individuals such as yourself
are in what's known
as a dissociative state,
meaning you have
no cognitive awareness
of your environment
or your actions.
While people do sleepwalk,
very rarely
do they lash out violently
like you did last week.
A sleep study is the only way
to determine the cause.
Yeah, but, like, what if it's
just a one-time thing?
And if it's not?
Alex, are you aware
that people with your disorder
have killed
their bed partners?
Are either of you willing
to take that risk?
Any luck tracking down
your family's medical history?
Uh, no. No, no luck yet.
Parasomnia is hereditary,
so it is important to find out
if anyone in your family
has experienced it before.
OK, yeah, I'll look into it.
I'm at a conference next week.
If you need anything, I'll
respond when I'm back in town.
And remember,
keep the camera rolling.
Mallory,
it's vital that you capture
as much footage as possible.
Will do.
Thank you, Dr Snape.
We really appreciate
your help.
That Dr Snape,
she's about as cuddly
as a cactus, huh?
Well,
she's all we can afford.
Still, the sleep clinic's
gonna cost a fortune.
Maybe I should sell a kidney.
Have you thought
about going back to lighting?
Rohan said you're
always welcome on his crew.
When did you talk to Rohan?
I told you, we're working
on the same show together.
Right.
Well, thanks, but no thanks.
I'm done working with
those egotistical assholes.
Whoa! Check this out.
-Aw. Poor little guy.
-Maybe his bed partner did it.
Ha, ha. Very funny.
Think we should bury it?
Bury it? What the hell
are you talking about?
I don't know. I feel bad
leaving him like this.
Don't feel bad. It's nature.
Come on, let's just go.
Crikey.
One sexy fucking Sheila
must have left this print.
Let's see where she went.
Ah.
Mallory Bear pissing in the
woods, just as God intended.
I can't go
when you're filming me.
My, my! That's one
sexy fucking Sheila.
Stop!
Careful, now.
The Mallory Bear's charging!
She's been challenged.
- Mating season begins.
- Fuck off.
Alex!
What?
You OK? What's wrong?
- Look.
- You freaked out over that?
You almost gave me
a heart attack.
What's wrong with you?
Read it.
Whoa. Weird.
It's really creepy.
Do you think previous renters
left it or something?
- You know what?
- What?
Maybe the person that wrote it
is still in the house.
- Oh!
- Get the fuck out of here!
We're coming
to get you, Mallory!
I'm grabbing your ass.
I'm grabbing your ass.
I can see you. I can see you.
Mother, is that you?
Alex.
- Alex.
- Can you hear that?
- Hear what?
- He's under the house.
- Who's under the house?
- He's trying to get inside.
There's no one there, baby.
You're just having
a bad dream.
He's under the house.
We're not safe here.
- Babe...
- We... We need to go.
- No, everything's OK.
- We need...
Babe, you're just
having a bad dream.
Please come back to bed.
No, he... He...
He's... He's... He's here.
He's here. He's under
the house. He knows.
- There's nobody here.
- No, he knows.
- Babe...
- He knows.
- No.
- He knows.
Don't do that. Stop, please.
Come back to bed.
No, it's OK. Everything's OK.
OK, please.
Please come back to bed.
Just lie down.
Everything's OK.
Everything's OK. Shh.
You're OK.
Don't leave me alone with him.
Not alone with him.
- I'm not going anywhere.
- Don't leave.
I'm right here with you, babe.
I'm right here.
It's OK. It's OK.
Shh. It's OK.
You're OK. You're OK.
Babe, I'm right here. Shh.
You're OK.
Alex, breakfast is ready.
This looks great. Thank you.
How are you feeling
this morning?
Uh, fine, yeah. You?
Yeah. You, um, had
a pretty rough night
last night.
I feel fine.
OK. You just seemed to be
really scared of something,
so I just wanna make sure
you still feel good
about being up here.
- Can we get our money back?
- Doubt it.
Then I feel great
about being up here.
Plus, I didn't drive
ten hours in the snow
just to go right back, so...
OK, great.
You gonna call your mom today?
I wasn't planning on it.
But you told Dr Snape
you would.
Come on, Alex.
This is important.
She's not gonna know anything.
Have you ever tried talking
to her about your parents?
Don't call them my parents.
OK, fine. I just...
I don't understand
why you're so against this
when it could help you.
Are you listening to me?
Can we please stop
talking about it?
I will make the call.
OK. Sorry.
Can we please turn off
the camera for a second?
I feel like
I'm on The Surreal Life.
How's it going?
Some help would be nice.
Well, maybe later.
Instead, you're getting high
like a degenerate!
Whoo-hoo!
- You wanna play that game?
- Yeah. Are you ready?
And the crowd goes wild.
Did you find one?
Well, there's not
a whole
lot to choose from here.
Pick anything.
How about "Stop Me"
by Filthy Billy Myers?
Uh, Filthy Billy Myers?
Yes, please.
All right,
let's turn it up to 11.
Filthy Billy don't know
What he'll do to you
Some interesting lyrics.
Yeah, no, I think
I can get on board with this.
- What are those dance moves?
- Oh, what, this?
I'm just giving 'em
something to see.
Huh? You like that?
Like that,
you fucking weirdos?
You're the weirdo.
Mm. We should make this
our new song.
Oh, yeah, we should play it
at our wedding.
Yeah, your mom
would love that.
You know what I love?
- Me?
- Yeah.
And that cute
little tush of yours.
Oh, this old thing?
Alex,
turn down the music!
Yeah,
you can try to stop me...
Great. Fucking fuse.
Filthy Billy does
what he chooses to do
Yeah, try to stop me
You can try to stop me
- Alex?
- Try to stop me
Try to stop me
Try to stop me
Try to stop me
Try to stop me
Try to stop me
Try to stop me
Babe.
What the hell?
Where are you?
Oh, shit! You scared me.
What are you doing down here?
He won't let me sleep.
He told me to let him in.
Babe, you're having
a bad dream.
He's here.
Is it the man
from under the house?
Where is he now?
Behind you.
Shit!
Alex.
Is it the man
from under the house?
Where is he now?
Behind you.
Shit!
Alex.
Uh...
I don't remember any of that.
You're sure we can't fix it?
No. It was
a crystal dreamcatcher.
Fuck. That is
a really thoughtful gift.
I figured you could use it.
You talked about a man
being in the house last night.
Do you remember
having a nightmare?
Yeah, kinda.
Care to elaborate?
There was this thing,
um, by the door.
Do you remember
what it looked like?
It looked like a skeleton
and it had, like, snakes
growing out of its face,
but not snakes, you know?
It sounds terrifying.
Probably just watching
too much Lovecraft Country.
Right.
I'm gonna go fix the fuses.
OK.
Mal, I'm really sorry.
It's OK.
Alex, come look at this!
- Can't. Doing man stuff.
- It'll only take a second.
Come here. OK, sit down.
You're not gonna believe this.
Oh!
Does that look like the thing
you saw in your dream
last night?
Yeah, it kinda does, actually.
OK, so get this.
There are people
who suffer from
the same parasomnia as you do,
apparently seeing this in
their dream night after night.
OK.
And there's a sleep therapist,
Dr Armitage,
who even wrote a book about it
called The Blackened Dream.
I ordered a copy, but it
doesn't come till next month.
So, what do you think?
- What do I think about what?
- All of it.
Uh, it's...
Yeah, like, it's a...
It's a neat story.
OK, but it can't
just be a coincidence.
What if it's, like,
a shared hallucination
people with
your disorder have?
And if it is?
I think we should call Dr
Armitage and ask him about it.
- No. Oh, God. Absolutely not.
- Why not?
Because I don't need
a second opinion
from fucking Dr Van Helsing.
But what if
he could help?
Mal, the guy writes about
dream monsters.
He's not gonna
be able to help.
OK, well, we should
at least tell Dr Snape.
Mal, look,
I get that this would be
a really cool plot twist
to whatever story
you're trying to cook up here,
but I'm definitely not gonna
get all worked up
over some fucking...
hocus-pocus bullshit,
and, honestly, I don't
think you should either.
- OK, fine.
- OK, fine.
You've been filming a lot
since we got up here.
I don't know if it's
the fresh air
or the beautiful location,
but I've been
feeling inspired lately.
It's got me thinking
about my next doc.
- Yeah, I bet it has.
- What was that?
Nothing.
Anyway,
I have a few ideas in mind,
but I wanna get started soon.
Is now
really the best time?
Why not?
We're not exactly
flush with cash
and, frankly, your last film
cost us more than it made.
You're saying
I should give up?
What about that gig
Jordan offered you?
That's a great opportunity.
It's for a DIT position.
Not only is that a demotion,
but I'd be gone
for three months at least.
It's steady money.
Or you could go back
to the union.
I told you I'm not doing that.
OK, I get it.
So, you get to do
whatever you want,
while I have to be the one
to take care of
our responsibilities?
How is that fair?
What are you talking about?
Coming up
to the cabin was your idea.
I didn't wanna waste
the money,
but I still said yes.
What?
- Forget it.
- Come on, don't be like that.
Hey, Jordan.
How's it going?
Good. How are things going
over there?
I was wondering when you
needed an answer about that.
No, look,
it's a great opportunity,
and I definitely still wanna
talk to Alex about it,
but, um, I'm also hoping
to get started on my next doc,
so I'm just trying
to figure out,
I guess,
priorities and everything.
Yeah, no, it's
definitely a great project.
If you wouldn't mind giving me
some extra time,
that would be great.
Hey, Mallory.
You know what? Can I call
you back? OK. Thanks, Jordan.
Alex?
Better not have your dick
in your hands.
What are you doing?
Wanna see something funny?
No, no, no, no!
What are you doing? Stop!
What's going on?
You just tried
putting your hand
down the fucking
garbage disposal.
- I did?
- Yes.
And you called me in here
to watch you do it.
Oh, my God.
Alex, we need to get you help.
I... I can't keep doing this.
I don't... I don't feel good.
I need...
I need to go lie down.
I am getting
drunk AF tonight.
- Yeah, y'are!
- Mm-hm!
Seriously, though, thanks
for saving my ass today.
I'm just glad
I got there in time.
Mm-hm.
Things almost got out of hand
for a minute.
So funny, so funny.
Seriously, though,
if I had a hook for a hand,
like Candyman,
would you still love me?
I mean, it would be
a little difficult
to, like, fool around.
But I'm sure
we'd figure it out.
Honestly, I'd rather you have
no hand than a hook,
if I'm being honest.
Ooh, yeah,
then I could stump you.
Never say
those words to me again.
You say stump, I say how hard?
Get the fuck out of here.
Shh.
You're gonna wake her up.
So pretty.
So nice.
What?
OK, I'm coming.
Front door open.
OK.
What do you wanna play?
That was funny.
OK. Coming.
Wait, where'd you go?
Oh, OK.
Hello, Alex.
Hi.
Come inside.
It's warm here.
I've been waiting for you.
I'm scared.
I don't wanna
be here anymore.
It's too late.
The black sun rises.
Morning.
I am never drinking again.
You must have had
a good night.
I didn't hear you
get up at all.
Yeah, I still feel a bit tired
this morning.
I hope you're not too tired.
Oh, not right now.
I just have some chores
I wanna get done.
Chores?
But this isn't our house.
Later, I promise.
Um, there's a fresh pot.
Just help yourself.
Fresh pot my ass.
Hi, Dr Armitage.
Thanks for meeting with me.
- It's my pleasure.
- Sorry about the connection.
My boyfriend and I are
at a cabin in the woods.
It's fine on my end.
So, from reading your email,
it appears your boyfriend,
Alex, has been experiencing
some episodes
of violent parasomnia?
Yes, he has.
How long
has he been sleepwalking?
Um, it started
right after he quit his job.
At first it was small stuff,
like moving objects
in his sleep,
sitting up in bed,
things like that.
And then last week he had
his first violent episode.
Well, stress,
caused by sudden life changes,
can trigger behavioral
disorders to develop,
such as parasomnia.
I can schedule Alex in
for an evaluation if he likes.
He actually doesn't know
I'm speaking with you today.
He's skeptical of doctors,
and I didn't wanna push it.
I never know how he'll react.
React? How do you mean?
Not in a bad way.
It's just that sometimes...
Anyway, that's not
why I wanted to talk to you.
OK. Why did
you wanna talk to me?
This might sound crazy,
but he described this strange
figure he saw in his sleep.
It's almost identical
to something you described
in your book,
The Blackened Dream.
How many times has he seen it?
- Uh, once that I know of.
- Has it spoken to him?
Like, in his dream?
I think so.
So what is this thing,
Dr Armitage?
Is it a shared symptom
people with his disorder have,
like a hallucination
or something?
If Alex truly saw
what I describe in my book,
it was no hallucination.
It's an ancient entity
called Phobetor.
Excuse me?
It goes by many names,
but in Greek mythology
Phobetor was described as a
personification of nightmares.
It was believed to possess
a person through their dreams,
almost like
a sleepwalking zombie,
and, over time,
devour their soul.
Possession?
Like demonic possession?
Precisely.
Has anyone in Alex's family
seen this before?
A parent,
a grandparent, perhaps?
I don't know. Why?
From my experience, it targets
members of the same bloodline,
especially those
suffering from PTSD.
Alex grew up in foster care.
He doesn't like
talking about the experience,
but I think the whole thing
traumatized him.
Trauma is such
a powerful force.
If untreated,
it can slither into
all the facets
of your life, corrupting it,
until, finally,
it transforms you
into something
you never wanted.
It's that negative energy.
It's what that entity
feeds off of.
I'm sorry, but you're talking
about this entity
like it's real.
You don't actually
believe that, do you?
I know this is hard
for you to hear,
but you need
to accept the fact
that we live in a world
that's both seen and unseen,
and part of that unseen world
detests humanity
and wants
to see it destroyed,
both physically
and spiritually.
I'm not surprised
you're in a remote location.
It wants to isolate you.
But coming to the cabin
was my idea.
Now that you're there,
it won't let you leave.
You need to be careful.
Mallory, this entity is
as ancient as it is evil.
Whatever you do,
don't let it get you alone
in the dark.
OK. Thanks, Dr Armitage.
Um, I appreciate your help.
You startled me.
Who were you talking to?
Nobody. I was, um...
I was watching something.
Are you OK? You look pale.
I feel like
I'm getting a migraine.
I brought some Advil.
Why don't you go lie down
and I'll get you some?
Alex, lunch is ready.
Ooh. Looks good.
- How's your headache?
- Better. Thank you.
So, turns out you were right.
- Love hearing that.
- I know you do.
So, what was I right about
this time?
Dr Armitage.
The guy's a total nutjob.
You talked to him?
Yeah, because
I thought he could help.
Turns out
I was very, very wrong.
So, you went behind my back?
You said you didn't wanna
talk to him,
so I gave him a call
to see what he knew.
You betrayed me.
Betrayed you?
That's ridiculous.
Where are you going?
Come on, Alex. I don't see
what the big deal is.
Yeah, that's the problem.
Front door open.
You've been gone a while.
Dinner's in the fridge.
I'm sorry I got angry.
Me too. I didn't mean
to upset you like that.
I was just trying to help.
I just haven't felt
like myself lately.
You know you can always
talk to me about it, right?
I know.
What's that on your hands?
Oh, I, uh... I was just doing
some work outside.
OK, well, make sure
you wash them before you eat.
Yes, Mother.
What are you doing?
Come back to bed.
What looked like morning
was the start of
an endless night.
What?
Not again.
Alex.
Alex.
Kitchen door open.
Alex, what...
Alex!
Oh, my God!
What did you do?
Stop!
Alex!
Baby, please calm down.
He's here.
He's not, Alex.
It's just me. See?
There's nobody there. Please
calm down, baby. Please.
Please don't.
I'm right here.
I'm right here.
Alex.
Alex.
When you're awake,
you're awake for eternity.
What?
How's the cabin?
It's OK. Not as romantic
as I was hoping.
Why?
What's wrong?
Your brother's sleepwalking
is getting worse.
What does
the doctor say?
It's actually why I wanted
to talk to you.
They need to know about
his family's medical history.
Oh, well, you should ask
my mom about that.
I left a voicemail,
but I haven't heard back yet.
And you know Alex. He never
wants to talk about the past.
Well, it's not hard
to get why, right?
Like, the poor kid...
Like, what he went through
was just...
When he first came to us,
he couldn't even
make eye contact.
I know, but this information
could really help.
So you want me to talk to him?
Actually, I was hoping
you might know something.
Has your mom ever told you
about his biological parents?
Mal, I don't think Alex
would want us
talking about him like this.
Tammy, his sleepwalking
is getting really scary.
Last night
he tore apart the kitchen.
And the other day,
he tried putting
his hand down
a garbage disposal.
Lord Almighty.
And on top of what happened
a few months ago...
I'm really worried about him.
Wait, he told me
that was an accident.
Do you know anything
that might help?
Look, I'm a Christian woman,
OK? So this is hard for me.
My mom told me that...
his parents
were part of a cult.
A cult?
What kind of cult?
Like a Manson-type cult.
Did she say anything else?
No, that's all she said.
Do you know their names?
Mal, I don't think...
Tammy, please.
His mom's name...
...is Catherine Thorne.
That's all my mom said.
Anything else, you'll
have to talk to her or Alex.
No, that's all I needed.
And it goes without saying,
you and I
never had this conversation.
What conversation?
You're the best.
Well, just remember that
when you're picking out
a name for my niece.
You got it. Thanks, Tammy.
Catherine Thorne...
I'm just getting
too old for this shit.
Because
you're barely sleeping.
- Can I ask you something?
- What?
Have you ever wanted to know
who your
biological parents are,
even for yourself?
Not this shit again.
Come on, this is what
couples do. They share.
You know everything about me.
Is this about that demon guy?
No, I told you,
that guy's a nutjob.
Let me
ask you something.
If some worthless scumbags
abandoned you as a baby,
would you wanna know
who they were?
Yeah, I think I'd wanna know.
It's better to know where you
come from than be in the dark.
Good for you.
What about when our kids wanna
know more about their dad?
What are you gonna tell them?
- I'm done talking about this.
- But you never wanna talk.
That's the problem.
OK.
You wanna talk?
You wanna share?
Let's share.
I don't wanna know anything
about those people.
I don't give a fuck
if they're alive or dead.
In fact,
I hope they're rotting in hell
for what they did to me. OK?
And just because
nothing interesting
has ever happened in your life
does not mean that
you get to live through me.
So, from now on, stop asking
these pointless
fucking questions.
OK? Do you think
you can handle that?
Alex.
Sorry. Uh...
I don't, uh...
I don't know what that was.
I didn't mean to snap.
I just...
I just need
to go at my own pace.
OK.
I'm sorry. I'll...
I'll just never speak to you
like that again.
I brought you something.
Thanks.
Can we talk?
Sure.
You know how you talk about
family trips to Nominingue
and your dad
taking you to the movies or...
...the family gathered
around the table,
talking about their day?
Just normal family stuff.
Yeah.
I never had any of that.
There were no vacations.
No family dinners.
It was just surviving.
I wanna open up more to you.
I really do.
But... when I think
about my childhood...
I'm just right back
in that place.
Just a scared little kid
who feels trapped.
I guess
what I'm trying to say is...
I want to be
more open with you.
Because I need to get better.
OK.
I just don't wanna lose you.
You'll never lose me.
Think there's room
for one more?
There's barely room
in here for me.
We'll see about that.
Get outta here!
So pretty.
So nice.
What was that?
Alex?
Is that you?
Alex?
Mommy.
Are you fucking
kidding me right now?
What are you doing
down there? Come back to bed.
This shit's getting old, Alex.
Come back to bed.
I'm fine, by the way.
Oh, fuck.
Alex?
Alex.
The black sun rises.
Uh, hello? Earth to Alex.
Please come in.
What?
Didn't you hear me
calling you?
- No.
- What are you doing out here?
I just came out
to get some air.
You got that black shit
on your hands again.
Yeah, I was
cleaning out the fire pit.
- Are you OK?
- Yeah. Stop asking me that.
Sorry.
You hear that?
Hear what?
That.
- I don't hear...
- Shut up.
It sounds like a baby crying.
It's gone.
- You really didn't hear that?
- No, I didn't hear anything.
Weird.
Come on,
it's getting bad out here.
Let's go back to the cabin
and I'll make breakfast.
No, you, uh...
you go ahead.
I'm just gonna
stay out a little longer.
OK.
I can't believe this.
I did a search for the name
Catherine Thorne
and I found this.
Have you ever gone to bed
and woken up in
a different room of the house
but you don't remember
how you got there?
If so, tonight's tale
will truly terrify you.
It's the story of
Catherine Thorne
and the shadowy
Night's Disciples.
When local police arrived
to the Erebus Ranch
on February 13th 1993,
the only survivor present was
32-year-old Catherine Thorne
who had joined the Night's
Disciples one year prior.
Of the seven other cult
members living at the ranch,
each had their throats cut
and suffered
blunt-force trauma,
including Mrs Thorne's husband
and cult leader, Jerry Thorne.
Mrs Thorne was in labor when
police arrived to the scene.
She was rushed to hospital
where the baby was delivered
via emergency cesarean.
She told officers
Mr Thorne
and the other cult members
raped her
during a breeding ritual,
which is how
she became pregnant.
Mrs Thorne didn't deny
committing the murders
but maintained
she had no recollection
as she was sleepwalking
when they occurred.
Before she could be arraigned,
Mrs Thorne was found
hung in her cell
from an apparent suicide.
Scratched on the wall next to
her body were the words:
endless night.
I remember
Alex saying something
about the morning being
the start to an endless night,
so I went back through
the footage, and I found this.
I don't wanna be here anymore.
It's too late.
The black sun rises.
This is just so fucked up.
I can't even...
Hm.
Mm!
Something smells good in here.
Your dinner's getting cold.
It'll still be cold
when we're finished.
Not right now.
Where have you been all day?
Just been
enjoying the scenery.
You know, you were right.
This place is beautiful.
In fact,
I have a surprise for you.
We're staying.
- We are?
- Uh-huh.
I already
talked to the owners.
We got it for another week.
It's all done.
I really wish you would have
talked to me about that first.
What's wrong?
I thought you'd be happy.
I think we should
go home tomorrow.
- You're unbelievable.
- Excuse me?
Coming up here was your idea.
And I went along with it.
And the second
that I start to enjoy myself,
the second
that I start to feel better,
you just wanna leave.
I don't get
what you want from me.
I want you to get help.
Oh, what is it about me
that needs help?
Why can't I just
be left the fuck alone?
Your sleepwalking
is getting really bad
and I'm worried about you.
It's sleepwalking.
It's not the end of the world.
Alex, look at your arm.
It was an accident.
Like what happened
in the garage?
Hey!
Where are you going?
Alex!
Front door open.
Alex?
Shit.
It's freezing out here.
Alex! Where are you?
Oh, fuck.
What are you doing down there?
You're gonna freeze to death.
Alex, please say something.
Alex!
Alex, please wake up!
Can you hear me?
Please, baby.
I need you to wake up.
What the fuck
are you looking at?
You like filming me, bitch?
Alex, please stop.
This isn't you.
"Oh, Alex, please stop.
This isn't you."
No, no.
No, no, no. No.
No, no, no, no.
God, please turn on.
Please turn on.
Please turn on.
Do you love me, Mallory?
Oh, God,
this isn't happening.
This isn't happening to me.
Please.
He wants us
to be together.
Just put the camera down,
and let him in.
Alex, please!
You need to wake up!
If you don't,
he'll make me shove a razor
wire up your bitch cunt!
Oh!
Oh, God!
Oh, God! Oh, God!
Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
What's happening?
Mallory, please,
can you open the door?
Mallory, please,
open the door.
Is it really you?
Open the door!
What are you doing?
I can't!
Mallory, please,
open the door.
Mallory. Mallory, it's me.
It's me. Open the door.
I can't.
Mallory, open the door.
Mallory, open the door!
Please, please.
It's freezing. Please.
Oh, my God. What the fuck?
- What the fuck happened?
- I don't know.
What the fuck
was I doing outside?
Mallory...
- No, don't touch me!
- Stop! Stop it!
Mallory, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry. Please.
Look, I'm awake now.
Look at me.
I can't keep doing this, Alex.
Look. I'm awake now.
I'm awake now.
I'm awake now.
I don't wanna
be here anymore.
It's too late.
The black sun rises.
I don't remember any of that.
We can't wait three weeks
for the sleep clinic.
You need help
sooner than that.
What are we supposed to do?
It's not like
I can go to a hospital.
You need to call Dr Armitage.
I thought you said
that guy's a nut.
I was wrong.
I think he can help you.
This is so fucking crazy.
There's something else
I need to tell you.
I talked to your sister.
What?
I'm sorry.
I knew you weren't going to,
so I called her
to ask about your parents.
After everything,
you still went behind my back?
Alex, listen to me.
Your mother killed your father
while she was sleepwalking.
What?
Along with six other people.
She was part of a cult
that targeted vulnerable women
who suffered from PTSD
and parasomnia.
This could be someone else
with the same name.
Like, you don't know.
The woman in the article
gave birth
the same night you were born.
Thirty years ago today.
Alex,
this isn't a coincidence.
You've been planning this.
Planning what?
All of it. This has just been
a fucking setup
from the start.
You're using me
for your next doc.
You said so yourself.
That doesn't make any sense.
I only started filming you
after Dr Snape asked me to.
Have you ever stopped for
one second to ask yourself:
why am I filming him even
when he's not sleepwalking?
Why the fuck did you bring
your $6,000 camera
instead of just using
your fucking phone?
Because I was
trying to help you.
Bullshit!
OK, you wanna know the truth?
I started doing all of this
because I was afraid for you.
Afraid you'd hurt yourself,
or worse.
Like when you tried to kill
yourself seven months ago.
That was an accident.
Oh, my God.
After all this,
you still can't admit it.
Alex, who falls asleep
with the car running
in the garage by accident?
I thought I could save you.
If I loved you hard enough
that I could fix things.
But I can't.
For years I have been putting
your needs in front of my own
and I can't do that anymore.
I need to start
thinking about myself.
Because the truth is, I'm not
afraid for you anymore.
I'm afraid of you.
You're afraid of me?
Yes, I am.
I'm sorry you're
going through all of this,
but you're sick, Alex,
and you need help.
So, what do we do?
We have to get out
of this cabin.
Things have been getting worse
since the day we arrived.
- OK.
- OK? OK.
I'll start packing the car.
Happy birthday, baby.
Everything's gonna be OK.
Babe. Come on, we need to go.
Alex, wake up.
Alex.
- What time is it?
- It's two o'clock.
Come on, we have to go.
I need to sleep.
You can sleep in the car.
Let's go.
- Let's go tomorrow.
- No, we have to go now.
Just one more night.
No. Alex, wake up.
Alex.
Babe, come on, we have to go.
Alex!
Fuck.
So, I reviewed the information
you sent me regarding
Catherine Thorne.
Mallory, what do you know
about the Night's Disciples?
They were a cult that preyed
on women for sexual purposes.
But did you also know
that they worshipped Phobetor
whom they call
the Eater of Dreams?
The reason they targeted women
suffering from
parasomnia and PTSD
was so that they could
impregnate them
through a breeding ritual.
They believed that
when the child
born of the ritual turned 30,
it would become
the Dream Walker,
a permanent sleepwalking host
for the Eater of Dreams
to possess.
And they referred to
this metamorphosis
as the black sun rising.
Today's Alex's 30th birthday.
Mallory, if Catherine Thorne
is in fact
Alex's biological mother,
that means
he's the Dream Walker.
But that's not possible.
Don't underestimate the forces
in this world you cannot see.
Come on, this is crazy.
Has Alex displayed
any violent behavior
since we last spoke?
Last night I found him
sleepwalking
in the crawl space
under the house.
He told me he'd hurt me
if I didn't stop filming him.
Were you filming him
at the time?
Yeah. His sleep therapist
wanted me
to document
all of his episodes.
And he made direct reference
to the fact that
you were filming him?
Yeah. Why?
Then he could not have been
in a dissociative state.
He had to be aware
of his surroundings.
I don't understand.
That means he was awake
when he said it.
No, you're wrong. Alex would
never talk to me like that.
Because that wasn't Alex
speaking to you.
Listen to me very carefully,
Mallory.
You need to get out of that
house as fast as you can.
You're not safe with him.
Hello? Dr Armitage?
Oh, my God. What's going on?
Alex, wake up! We need to go!
Alex!
Alex!
Alex, we need to...
Alex?
Oh, my God.
What the fuck was that?
Oh, God.
Oh, my God.
Fuck.
Where are the keys?
I know they're here.
The keys...
Where are they?
Alex?
Oh, my God.
Whoo!
Please wake up!
This isn't you!
Mallory...
There you are.
Alex, wake up!
Don't worry, sweetheart.
I'm awake now.
Oh, my God.
Oh, God,
this isn't happening to me.
She's in the closet.
Behold.
The black sun rises.
No!
Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
Oh, my God. I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry. Oh, my God.
Oh, my God. I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.
- It's not your fault.
- Don't move.
Don't move. I'm gonna
get help. Just stay here.
911 Emergency...
Hello, yes.
Please, I need help.
What are you doing? No. No.
- It's OK.
- It's too late.
No.
They can fix you.
No, not this time.
Yes. Please. Please.
Alex...
I can't do this without you.
Please. You're OK.
Everything's fine. Please.
I can't lose you.
You'll never lose me.
Oh. It's OK.
Please. No.
Leave a message
and I'll call you back.
Hey, Mal. It's Jordan.
I, uh... hope you're doing OK.
I can only imagine
how hard
this has all been on you.
Look, I don't want this
to come off
the wrong way, but...
I just think you've got
something special here.
You've got something real.
If we shape the footage right,
I'm telling you,
this project
could launch your career.
I know you blame yourself
for what happened.
But I really think
you could still
pull something
from this tragedy.
It's not gonna
bring Alex back, but...
I mean, who knows, maybe it'll
help you make sense of it.
Listen, I've got
some investors lined up,
but they're not gonna
wait around forever, Mal.
Anyways, please call me.
I'd really love
to hear from you.
Oh, my God.
You'll never lose me.