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An Insomniac's Nightmare

  • 2003
  • 31m
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
216
YOUR RATING
An Insomniac's Nightmare (2003)
DramaShortThriller

A night in the life of a young chronic insomniac suffering from tormented delusions and frightening visions of his past.A night in the life of a young chronic insomniac suffering from tormented delusions and frightening visions of his past.A night in the life of a young chronic insomniac suffering from tormented delusions and frightening visions of his past.

  • Director
    • Reese Nanavati
  • Writer
    • Reese Nanavati
  • Stars
    • Dominic Monaghan
    • Daniel Burke
    • Ellen Sachs
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.4/10
    216
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Reese Nanavati
    • Writer
      • Reese Nanavati
    • Stars
      • Dominic Monaghan
      • Daniel Burke
      • Ellen Sachs
    • 22User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos4

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    Top cast9

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    Dominic Monaghan
    Dominic Monaghan
    • Jack
    Daniel Burke
    • Lonnie
    Ellen Sachs
    • The Girl
    Alex Scelso
    • The Boy
    Stuart Emmons
    • Kid
    Tad Joseph Wells
    • The Dog
    • (voice)
    Zoe Johnson
    • Kid
    Anne Thompson
    • Kid
    Maya Johnson
    • Kid
    • Director
      • Reese Nanavati
    • Writer
      • Reese Nanavati
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews22

    8.4216
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    Featured reviews

    lgottinger02

    This film has it all...suspense, emotion, and a highly enjoyable mind-trip...

    As a short, first commercial film from a promising, young screenwriter/director, An Insomniac's Nightmare has it all...

    Drama and emotion seep from the young actors' eyes and a compelling screenplay...

    Mystery and suspenseful horror ensue as a young man falls further into his delusions...

    Where will it end up?

    Why not in a special kind of mind-trip leaving viewers and a sad, young man wondering what reality is and how to overcome their own mind?

    Nanavanti's filmmaking skills will surely bring her far...

    Lord of the Rings star Dominic Monaghan gives a great performance and perhaps adds good reason for viewers to want to get some sleep and have happy dreams of cute Brits...

    A startling and moving film all the way around...
    9herselftheelf311

    A Nightmare

    An Insomniac's Nightmare is the story of a man's plunge into insanity. Having chronic Insomnia, Jack is plagued by hallucinations; causing him to try and determine what is real and what isn't.

    We find out interesting things about Jack near the end, and think that by the time the movie is over we will have a "happily ever after" Hollywood ending. Wrong. This is New York City, the place where nobody sleeps.

    Tess Nanavati (Writer and Director) has herself a good film in 'An Insomniac's Nightmare'. A talented filmmaker and writer (she made this film right after her High School Graduation), she has real potential and will be one to watch in the upcoming future.

    As I watched this short film I was constantly uncomfortable; between the music, bleak scenery, and realistic portrayal of an insomniac by Dominic Monaghan (as Jack), I desperately wanted to turn this off at times just to escape from it.
    8Meltme

    Insomniac's Nightmare is Great for Dom

    I saw Insomniac's Nightmare not to long ago for the first time and I have to say, I really found it to be quite good. If you are a fan of Dominic Monaghan you will love it. The hole movie takes place inside his mind -or does it? The acting from everyone else is a little rushed and shaky and some of the scenes could be cut down but it works out in the end. The extras on the DVD are just as great as the film, if not greater for those Dom fans. It has tons of candid moments from the set, outtakes and a great interview with the director. Anyone who has gone through making an independent film will love to watch Tess (the director), Dom and everyone else on the very small close personal set try to bang out this little trippy creepy film. It was pretty enjoyable and I'm glad to have it in my collection.
    8CantinaBarmaiden

    How do you wake up from a bad dream when you're living it?

    I first saw this movie at a festival. There were many good movies, but few kept me thinking about it long after, and An Insomniac's Nightmare was definitely one of them. Tess is definitely a gifted filmmaker. The shots were great. Casting was perfect. Dominic shined in his role that she perfectly crafted. There wasn't a lot to know about his character, but she wrote the story in such a way that we cared about him. And Ellen-- I can't wait to see where she ends up! She's showing a lot of talent and I hope she does a few more films. With all the million dollar budgets trying to get a cheap thrill, Tess shows that it's all not needing as long as there is a good story and actors. Kudos to everyone involved with this film. And thanks to Tess and co. for distributing it on DVD!
    9sgeisterfer

    Incredible film

    I had the pleasure of seeing this film at the Rhode Island International Film Festival and was very impressed. Tess Nanavati is clearly a great screenwriter and I would love to see more of her films. If she could do what she did with the budget of this film, I'm very anxious to see what she can do with a major picture. Kudos to the cast for their terrific performances (that little girl was gold), and to whoever composed the music. The warped "Row Your Boat" blew me away. Very creative film all around....I really hope to see it come out on video or DVD because I'd buy it in a second. If you get the chance, you should definitely see this film.

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    Related interests

    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)
    Short
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Goofs
      When Jack is changing after the shower, he collapses onto the bed without a shirt on. But when he jumps back up, he is wearing a shirt. A few shots later when he answers the door, he is once again shirtless. Then he puts on that same shirt in the very next scene and wears it for the rest of the film.
    • Quotes

      Jack: Have you ever had insomnia? If you have, what I'm about to say won't seem all that strange. But if not... well, we'll see.

    • Connections
      Followed by Nemoc (2005)

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • March 12, 2003 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • New York City, New York, USA
    • Production company
      • Jagged Edge Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $20,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      • 31m
    • Color
      • Color

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