Nyctophobia

There's a lot to admire in this film, even if the whole doesn't quite come together. It's a surreal, often hypnotic descent into the hazy, fragmented experience of falling asleep - or more accurately, of fighting sleep. The filmmaker clearly has a strong grasp of visual mood and tone, and there's a level of artistic commitment here that demands respect.

Stylistically, it's striking. The black-and-white cinematography, punctuated by vivid bursts of color à la Sin City, creates a haunting contrast that pulls your eye exactly where it needs to go. It doesn't just look beautiful - it feels intentional, calculated, poetic. The selective color isn't just a gimmick; it adds emotional texture, highlighting specific moods and memories like flickers in a dream.

The sound design is also worth noting - it's immersive, atmospheric, and often carries entire scenes. In moments where the visuals slow to a crawl, the sonic environment continues doing the heavy lifting, deepening the sensory experience in a way that feels deliberate and well-crafted.

That said, the film struggles with pacing. Several scenes linger far beyond their emotional or narrative weight. Repetition is used - perhaps as a way to mirror the cyclical nature of sleeplessness - but not always effectively. Some viewers may interpret the loops and long silences as meditative, but they can also feel like endurance tests.

There's no traditional plot to latch onto, and while that's not a problem in itself, the emotional throughline could've been more defined. The film asks for a lot of patience and offers atmosphere and abstraction in return. For some, that will be enough. For others, it may feel like a missed opportunity for a tighter, more layered narrative.

Nyctophobia offers a visually intense and emotionally charged look into the restless mind. Its stark black-and-white style, punctuated by sudden flashes of color, creates a dreamlike world shaped by fear and unease. While it occasionally drags with repeated imagery, the film's atmosphere and bold direction hold attention. It's less about telling a story and more about capturing a feeling-unsettling, anxious, and strangely beautiful. Though uneven at times, it leaves a lasting impression as a raw, artistic exploration of sleeplessness, anxiety, and the haunting cycle of intrusive, obsessive thoughts.

I recently watched Nyctophobia with my friends, and what an experience it was. We all gathered to watch it together, not really knowing what to expect, but by the end, we were all blown away. Some of us were scared, some were frozen in silence, and others couldn't stop talking about how real everything felt. It was the kind of film that doesn't just entertain-it sticks with you.

The story follows a woman suffering from an intense fear of the dark, and the way it was shown felt incredibly real. The fear didn't come from ghosts or monsters, but from the mind-those quiet moments, the darkness, the silence, and the feeling that someone is watching. It was haunting but in the best way.

The person behind this film did an amazing job showing what fear looks and feels like. Every shot, every scene, every moment felt carefully done to make us feel what the character was going through. The acting was so strong that even without much dialogue, we could feel her fear, sadness, and anxiety.

There were times we were all sitting still, not even moving, just waiting to see what would happen next. The atmosphere was so intense, and that made the experience even more exciting.

Even though it was scary, we had so much fun watching it together. We laughed, we screamed, we talked about it long after it ended. I honestly think this is the kind of film people should watch in every gathering. It's scary, deep, and unforgettable.

If you enjoy a good scare and something that makes you think too, Nyctophobia is the perfect film. You'll want to see it again-and maybe even share it with more friends.

Sometimes we forget that while many of us sleep peacefully at night, there are people out there who face a very different kind of night - one filled with fear, restlessness, and darkness that doesn't just come from turning off the lights. Nyctophobia isn't just a horror film, it's a reminder of this silent suffering.

Watching the film, I couldn't stop thinking - how many people are living with this every single day? The fear of the dark might sound small to some, but for those going through it, it's a daily battle. They don't just fear darkness... they fear being alone with their thoughts, the feeling that someone is watching, the panic that creeps in every night.

What makes this film stand out is how it connects horror with reality. Yes, it's scary. The scenes are intense. The fear is shown in a haunting way. But deeper than that, it's also sad - because it reflects the real struggle of so many who live with anxiety, insomnia, and depression tied to this condition.

We often talk about human rights, mental health, and diseases, but fears like these don't always get the attention they deserve. This film brings it to the surface. And it does it with care, emotion, and real storytelling.

It's more than just a movie - it's a story that stays with you, because the fear shown is not just on the screen. It exists around us, maybe even in someone close. Everyone should watch this, not just for the chills, but for the truth it holds.

Nyctophobia, in scientific terms, is a crippling fear of the dark and what it might be hiding. People with this condition have extreme anxiety when they're in the dark or think about darkness. Such people also have difficulty getting sleep and thus, their lives are in a perpetual state of fear and unease.

Written and directed by Seayoon Jeong, Nyctophobia is a 2024 horror feature that stars Olivia Clari Nice, Sophia Biscotti and David Rannan Ellner. The film is a story of a young woman Liz who struggles with nyctophobia. Tired, anxious and unable to sleep, Liz will find her worst fears realized as her condition slowly takes a turn for the worse. She desperately tries to fall asleep by entering her inner world where she can access her happy childhood memories. However, she ultimately becomes trapped in her lucid dream world and encounters her worst nightmare.

I never expected Nyctophobia to be as hard hitting as it turned out to be. Anchored by fantastic makeup and creature design, the film is genuinely haunting. I can only imagine how people with such a disorder manage to get sleep but what Nyctophobia does is that it manages to apprise general audiences that such a condition indeed exists and it is nothing short of hell.

Olivia Clari Nice as Liz Whitman is a revelation. Not only does her measured performance anchor the film, Whitman's journey of survival finds us rooting for her wholeheartedly. On the other hand, there are equally great turns by the bad guys. From the clown cops to the eerie dancing ladies, all monsters are terrifying and disturbing.

The 90 minute feature whizzes by in a flash, courtesy of brisk editing that keeps us on our toes. Jeong knows how to craft a potent horror thriller as the pacing switches back and forth allowing the audience to have a false sense of comfort before plunging them into chaos once again. Technically, the film manages to knock it out of the park. The black and white cinematography works well to illustrate the visual aspect of the fear. However, what works best is how color frequently manages to break through this monotonous palette. Each such instance signifies something important and this is one of the few visual tools that Jeong employs to make her story that much more engaging.

Thus, Seayoon Jeong's Nyctophobia is a potent film, one that successfully immortalizes a particular fear that is all too real. With haunting visuals and great performances, this one is a winner. Five out of five stars from me.