The Nightmare

Following a raucous party that leaves its teens buzzing with midnight energy, Tina, a 17 year old girl, begins to wake from sleep shaken by visions. The dreams are not simple nightmares but vivid encounters with a strange, silhouette-like creature that seems to press at the edges of her room. At first the episodes occur in the dark of her own home, then they intrude during daylight, coloring the way she sees friends, family, and the world outside her window. As the nights pile up, Tina questions whether what haunts her is a mind unravelling under pressure or a boundary crossing between sleep and something else. The tension builds slowly, avoiding easy shocks. The film keeps answers subtle and tense tonight.

Directed by Achim Bornhak, The Nightmare arrived in 2015 as a German drama with mystery and horror elements. The film appears to be an original screenplay rather than an adaptation, crafted on a micro budget that fuels its intimate feel.

Box office data for The Nightmare is not publicly documented, and its micro budget suggests it circulated mainly in festival or limited release settings rather than wide commercial platforms. Its visuals rely on stark lighting and tight close ups today.

There are no widely reported major awards or nominations for The Nightmare. As a niche German production, it did not become a frequent festival fixture; the attention tends to come from the strong performances of Carolyn Genzkow and supporting cast rather than prize gold within the indie circuit in cinema.

Reception centers on mood over spectacle, with critics noting the film's restrained pacing and its exploration of adolescence under pressure. Themes include fear as a boundary between waking and dreaming, the way memory can distort perception, and how a teen negotiates family dynamics amid a creeping sense of menace subtly.