Somnia is a very interesting little horror-thriller from Mike Flanagan that explores something that the genre surprisingly rarely sees. The film being described as a haunting, emotionally absorbing horror film about an orphaned child whose dreams—and nightmares—manifest physically as he sleeps. The possibilities with a horror film with a set-up that explores nightmares are endless, and it opens plenty of doors for the film to be something truly unforgettable.
While I’m excited by the notion of a child’s nightmares manifesting into real life terror, I’m particularly looking forward to seeing Thomas Jane—who is underrated as all hell—star in horror film that will explore the enduring bonds between parent and child and is punctuated by sequences of intense, visceral terror that only a child’s imagination could conjure. As you all know, a child’s imagination can be downright terrifying, which is exactly why I say that Somnia has so much potential. Let’s just hope Flanagan takes advantage of it.
Jane will star alongside Kate Bosworth (pictured below) and the recently announced Annabeth Gish.
Production began last week on SOMNIA, which Demarest Films and MICA Entertainment are financing. Intrepid Pictures’ Trevor Macy and Demarest’s Sam Englebardt and William D. Johnson are producing. Mali Elfman and D. Scott Lumpkin will serve as Executive Producers on the Picture.
This reminds me of Nightcrawlers, a short story by Robert McCammon about a Viet Nam vet who, when he would fall asleep, would bring that war to life. It was also an episode of the new Twilight Zone.
That’s such a terrifying notion, man. It’s surprising the lack of films that have utilized such an idea though, so I hope they take full advantage of it here.
Amen to that.