Blu-ray Review: DREAM EATER (2025)

DREAM EATER

Written & Directed by:  Jay Drakulic, Mallory Drumm, & Alex Lee Williams

Distributed by:  Alliance Entertainment / The Horror Section

 In 2025, Eli Roth created a new company to help get their horror films distribution.  That company is called THE HORROR SECTION, and one of the first releases is the film DREAM EATER.   I knew nothing about this film going into it, but with "Eli Roth Presents" above the title, I knew I wanted to check it out.   I'll be honest, I didn't really have super high expectations for it, as found footage films have been done to death lately it seems.  I am happy to say that this film blew away my expectations and was a fresh and actually very scary and disturbing entry into what had become a very saturated sub-genre in recent years, in my opinion. 

Here is the basic plot synopsis from The Horror Section's website:

  A filmmaker documents her boyfriend's violent parasomnia during their holiday at a remote cabin in the woods, and as his sleepwalking gets worse, she believes the cause might be something far more sinister. 

  It's a simple plot, but it is not a simple film by any means.   I can honestly say this is one of the best found footage films I have ever seen.   While a lot of found footage films start off super slow and only have a pay off at the very end  (I'm looking at you BLAIR WITCH PROJECT), this film had me hooked from the very beginning.   The main character's sleep walking starts from the very beginning and just gets progressively worse with each episode.   It was scary to think what he was going to do the next night, since you knew it was going to be even worse.  It really made you feel for his girlfriend, knowing that every night she was going to have to deal with a progressively worse bout of his sleep walking.   

  The film does have a crazy climax at the end, but the whole film was a crazy ride.    Just the anticipation of what was coming each night was very uncomfortable.   The acting in this film was great, and you really had a connection to these characters, so that made you feel even worse with what was going on.  

  Out of the many scary and uncomfortable scenes, one I found particularly disturbing was actually very tame on the surface.   While Mallory (the girlfriend) goes out looking for Alex  (the sleepwalker), she goes into the shed behind the cabin and finds a stack of drawings that Alex has done, all showing a dark, shrouded character.   What's interesting is that as she thumbs through the stack of sketches, each one gets more disturbing than the last.  The character becomes bigger and the picture as a whole becomes darker with each one she skims through.  I loved the correlations of these sketches and his episodes, showing how each one gets progressively worse. 

  

  One thing I really noticed that I don't in a lot of films, was the music.  The score for this film was very unnerving.  A simple tune whistled with a very eerie sound.   Check out the trailer and you'll know what I am talking about as soon as you hear it. 

 As impressive enough as this film is, even more impressive is the fact that the 3 writers and directors are also the main actors in the film.  It was done a very moderate budget, but the film doesn't look or feel that way.   They made the most of what they had and it paid off  for sure!   

 Watch DREAM EATER with the lights down, and the volume up and buckle in for a wild and scary ride!  

  DREAM EATER is available now on Collector's Edition Blu-ray and contains the following Special Features:

*  Director's Commentary

*  Behind the Scenes Featurette with Eli Roth

*  Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery

*  Trailers

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray