Starring: Carolyn Genzkow, Sina Tkotsch, Wilson Gonzalez
Written & Directed By: Akiz
I’m an avid believer in the endless possibilities that the horror genre is capable of, that it’s a far larger, more diverse genre than many give it credit for. While I do appreciate how the genre can show the ugly, uncomfortable, and immense darkness present in our world, I also think it is just as capable of touching on strong, enlightening, and even hopeful outlooks. The Nightmare is one film that showcases this beautifully.
The Nightmare is a German surrealist horror film that constantly evolves, beginning in a rave drug trip, escalating into a nightmarish creature-feature, psycho-terror journey with an introspective, empowering message. It showcases how your fear and nightmares are a part of you; things you cannot ignore or hide from. Yet if you own them, understanding and strength can follow for a fierce and beautiful transcendence.
Carolyn Genzkow (center) as Tina, in The Nightmare (Der Nachtmahr)
Tina (Genzkow) is a free-spirited, teenage partier with little worries until a traumatic experience at a rave triggers terrors that throw her into a walking nightmare. She begins hearing and seeing things no one else seems to be able to, making others around her question her grip on reality. In time, her nightmare seems to manifest into an undeniable physical form she can’t be imagining – a small, grotesque toad-like creature that disgusts and horrifies her, yet one she is undeniably connected to. Her life, freedom, and sanity may never be the same if she can’t find a way to accept and come to terms with this creature and, in turn, herself.
The film is beautifully composed and particularly excels in its experimentation of visuals and sound. Its sound and lighting design ranges from the intense and sudden to the eerily vacant and silent, masterfully using the presence and at times absence of these components to immerse the audience and make them feel they are experiencing our protagonist’s nightmarish journey more fully. The film showcases darkness in a strong visual metaphor, such as one shot when Tina is completely swallowed into the darkness, showcasing her inner struggles and mentality. The Nightmare showcases contrast and opposites through the cinematography. Consuming darkness is met with striking light and neon flashes; the light always fighting the darkness and vice versa. There are also moments where sound is deluded or muffled intentionally when our protagonist is suffering, or in between one reality and another, neither being fully clear to her. Moments like this made the immersion and storytelling all the more engaging.
The first 10 minutes or so of the film has very strong strobe lighting effects, throwing you into the rave, trippy atmosphere; on edge, ready for horror to emerge at any moment. This doesn’t continue through the whole film, but it might be something to consider if you have a health condition or anxiety that strobe lighting could provoke. While it’s more through metaphor and subtext, the film seemed to be purposely throwing the audience into an atmosphere that causes alertness, enthrallment, and triggers – as it does for our main character. After all, one has to acknowledge and face these things to grow and conquer the things threatening to break them.
Some moments of the film shine more fiercely than others. Tina’s parents and school mates weren’t particularly engaging or interesting; they are flat and quick to melodramatics and judgment, which doesn’t offer prime material. The strongest material is when Tina is alone, either running or facing her nightmarish embodiment. The overall storytelling, visuals, sound, and meaning more than make up for a few average characters and the occasional filler scene. I was engaged throughout the film, especially witnessing this creature-haunting-turned-interpersonal journey evolve. I absolutely loved the ending; it’s what really gives this film the spirit and power that makes it so significant.
The Nightmare is a psychological horror film. Most of the dread and terror come from fear of acknowledgement of the grotesque creature following Tina that others don’t see – a pretty clear symbolism for depression, fear, and the inner-human and emotional struggle we all experience in one way or another. There isn’t much blood and carnage here; the horror is mostly in this presence and creature becoming more overbearing until it’s embraced and accepted. It is not your typical depiction of horror, which I would argue makes it that much more noteworthy, finding its own identity and artistry to explore within the horror genre.
The Nightmare is currently available for free on Amazon Prime. This was my second watch, and I stand by my view that it is an overlooked, compelling horror film that deserves a bigger audience. If you like surreal, experimental creature horror with inner strength and empowerment, this one should be on your watchlist.
Inner Demons
Not long after watching the film for the first time about a year ago, I was collaborating with fellow artist and writer, Lily Sasha Idle, on a mental health photography piece. One of these sets involved a visualization of what it’s like to live with depression, anxiety, and fear. We wanted to showcase how you can be haunted and in torment without anyone else being able to see or understand what you are fighting; making you feel that much more isolated. We also wanted to come at it from an angle of those struggles or “demons” being born from you, thus a part of who you are. No problem can be fixed if you run away from it shrieking in fear. The first step is to look it in the eye, acknowledge, and face it.
I am endlessly fascinated with dreams, what they say about our subconscious and ourselves in the waking world. I love how that enlightenment, even in facing great haunting and entrapment, can empower if you let it. I have to say The Nightmare’s perspective and artistry on this topic and the unique sentiments it offered are among my favorite in material of dreams, metaphorical demons, and tackling a mental health journey through the horror genre. It really resonated and stayed with me.
While our ambitions and inspiration came from within, the message The Nightmare holds definitely came into play and was something I wanted to honor and showcase with our eerie, nightmarish, mental-health photo set. If you acknowledge and embrace the seemingly ugliness, the fear, the demon within, it doesn’t have to be your enemy. It can ultimately allow you to be honest with yourself, find inner substance and strength, and be a better version of yourself with a companion who understands you intimately in hand. Some of the strongest art digs into life and struggle, but I also think it’s beautiful when art can inspire art in turn that taps into that universal human experience and often needed introspection. Here’s an example of the inspiration The Nightmare left me with.
Photography: Lily Sasha Idle
Make-Up Artist: Miranda Riddle
Model: Kelsey Zukowski
Kelsey Zukowski is an experienced and passionate screenwriter, actress, and model, specializing in the horror genre through dark examination. Based in Los Angeles, she has worked on productions across the country, working heavily in the indie horror scene in Chicago as well as LA. Zukowski is most well-known for penning and co-starring in the surreal dark drama, What They Say, winning awards at film festivals across the country. More recently her tale of real life horrors of bullying and abuse in the psychological slasher, Words Like Knives, premiered at Blood at the Beach festival in Virginia Beach. Zukowski also starred in the feature haunted house film, Within These Walls–a gritty collaboration with filmmaker James Tucker, centering on a disturbing ghost story that brings out complete entrapment and relentless torment of one girl as she struggles to find her inner-strength. Zukowski has a Bachelors of Arts in Digital Cinema with a concentration in Screenwriting from DePaul University. Shortly after graduating, Zukowski became involved with the independent film scene. From acting she bridged into modeling, working heavily with alternative, pin-up, and glamor modeling. As in her writing, Zukowski is most drawn to thematic, stylistic modeling that has an artistic expression, human emotion, and creates a singular world within an image. Check out Kelsey’s entire bio on IMDb!
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