Nightworld (film)

Last updated
Nightworld
Directed by Patricio Valladares
Screenplay by
  • Barry Keating
  • Milan Konjevic
Story byLoris Curci
Produced by
  • Loris Curci
  • Magarditch Halvadjian
  • Silvester Yordanov
Starring
CinematographyPau Mirabet
Edited byLuis de la Madrid
Music byLuc Suarez
Production
companies
  • Global Group
  • Open Frames
Distributed by Gravitas Ventures
Release date
  • October 20, 2017 (2017-10-20)
CountryBulgaria
LanguageEnglish

Nightworld is a Bulgarian psychological horror thriller directed by Patricio Valladares and starring Robert Englund and Jason London. It is the first feature film produced by Open Frames, a subsidiary of Global Group. [1] [2]

Contents

Plot

After he is forced to kill a teenager in self-defense, former LAPD police officer Brett Irlam retires to Bulgaria. There, he meets Ana and marries her. Her suicide sends him into a depression that worries his friend Alex, who suggests he take a security job in Sofia. Brett agrees when recurring nightmares of Ana's death keep him from moving on. The job is at a historic building well-known by the locals. Its manager, Martin, reveals a few details before hiring Brett. The job has only one major responsibility: watching CCTV footage of cameras in a locked warehouse. Martin explains that nobody has ever reported activity, but Brett must contact help immediately if he sees anything.

The job is initially tranquil. Though he occasionally hears strange noises, Brett is more worried about his nightmares, which he sometimes has trouble distinguishing from reality. Brett meets local café worker Zara, who is surprised the building needs security. One day, Brett glimpses a shadow in the footage and calls the number given to him. A blind man, Jacob, arrives at the building, explaining that he was once a watchman there, too. Jacob has Brett describe the incident thoroughly, then promises to alert Martin himself. When Martin arrives the next day he is satisfied that the situation is under control and refuses Brett's suggestion that they investigate the warehouse.

Brett and Zara grow closer. He invites her to see the building when she expresses interest, and they have sex in his living quarters. The next day, Brett sees what he believes to be footprints on the CCTV. He again calls Jacob, who expresses keen interest. When Martin and his assistant arrive, they reluctantly agree to investigate the warehouse in person. Brett is frustrated when they reveal nothing, though Jacob warns Brett never to enter the warehouse alone. After experiencing disturbing nightmares, Brett calls Zara. As they have sex, Brett hallucinates that Zara is his dead wife, disturbing him greatly.

Zara shows up at the building later, saying Brett has blown her off for several days. Brett denies this, but before she can explain, Jacob visits Brett and explains some of the building's story. The building's original architect, and now its only resident, was chosen to protect one of the seven gateways to the Nightworld, a place where the dead reside. Although this guardian extended his life through alchemy, he is now dying. Once the guardian dies, Jacob believes the barriers put in place may be weakened enough for powerful entities to enter our world. Jacob demands Brett accompany him to the warehouse and attempt to close the gateway before it is too late, but Brett disbelieves him.

Alex arrives at the building, worried that Brett has been unreachable for the past five days. Jacob says the Nightworld has no concept of time, and this may be an explanation. Brett, who still does not believe in the Nightworld, attempts to call Martin. When Jacob shows Brett a large number of footprints on the CCTV footage, Brett, Jacob, Alex, and Zara enter the warehouse together. As the guardian dies, a crowd of revenants kills Alex. Jacob attempts to lead the group back out, but Brett becomes separated. He comes upon Ana, and, though confused, leads her to the warehouse's door, where he finds Zara and Jacob. Jacob is killed before he can open the door, and Zara is injured while retrieving the key.

After escaping the warehouse, Ana demands they reopen the door. Zara tells Brett that this is not his wife, and Ana attacks her. To save Zara, Brett kills Ana. As Brett and Zara flee the building, the revenants who have escaped the warehouse attack them. Once they leave the building, Zara dies from her wounds. As Brett mourns her death, she rises from the dead and attempts to kill him. Brett is suddenly rescued by Pritchard, the building's owner. After learning Brett is the sole survivor, Pritchard assures Brett that everything will be taken care of. As Brett leaves the building's premises, he sees the ghosts of Jacob, Zara, Ana, and others, stuck in the building.

Cast

Production

Director Patricio Valladares, who had worked with producer Loris Curci on several other international films, joined the project before it was funded when Curci asked him to contribute a poster. Curci suggested the film be shot in the style of an old Italian horror film; Valladares described the resulting film as "Sinister (2012) meets The Ninth Gate (1999)". [3] Englund had also worked with Curci several times previously, including a big project that fell apart. Curci and Englund stayed in contact, and Curci brought Nightworld to Englund. Though London and Englund both had the same agent, they had never worked together before, which further interested Englund in the project. The film's crew was mostly Bulgarian, and the director was Chilean. Englund speaks basic Spanish but relied on Curci, an Italian, to translate between English and Spanish. [4]

Reception

Noel Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote that although the film has a "rich, shadowy look", it is mostly "buildup without payoff". [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>A Nightmare on Elm Street</i> (franchise) American supernatural slasher franchise

A Nightmare on Elm Street is an American supernatural slasher media franchise consisting of nine films, a television series, novels, comic books, and various other media. The franchise began with the film A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), written and directed by Wes Craven. The overall plot of the franchise centers around the fictional character Fred "Freddy" Krueger, the apparition of a former child killer who was burned alive by the vengeful parents of his victims, who returns from the grave to terrorize and kill the teenage residents of the fictional Springwood, Ohio in their dreams. Craven returned to the franchise to co-script the second sequel, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), and to write/direct Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994). The films collectively grossed $472 million at the box office worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddy Krueger</span> Horror film character

Freddy Krueger is the antagonist of the A Nightmare on Elm Street horror film franchise. Created by Wes Craven, he made his debut in Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) as the malevolent spirit of a child killer who had been burned to death by his victims' parents after evading prison. Krueger goes on to murder his victims in their dreams, causing their deaths in the real world as well. In the dream world, he is a powerful force and seemingly invulnerable. However, whenever Freddy is pulled back into the real world, he has normal human vulnerabilities and can be destroyed. He is commonly identified by his burned, disfigured face, dirty red-and-green-striped sweater and brown fedora, and trademark metal-clawed, brown leather, right hand glove. This glove was the product of Krueger's own imagination, having welded the blades himself before using it to murder many of his victims, both in the real and dream worlds. Over the course of the film series, Freddy has battled several reoccurring survivors including Nancy Thompson and Alice Johnson. The character was consistently portrayed by Robert Englund in the original film series as well as in the television spin-off Freddy's Nightmares.

<i>Wishmaster</i> (film) 1997 American film

Wishmaster is a 1997 American dark fantasy horror film directed by Robert Kurtzman. The film was executive produced by Wes Craven, and is the only film of the Wishmaster series with his name attached. Its plot concerns a djinn, a wish-granting, evil genie who is released from a jewel and seeks to capture the soul of the woman who discovered him, thereby opening a portal and freeing his fellow djinn to inhabit and enslave the Earth.

<i>The Phantom of the Opera</i> (1989 film) 1989 film by Dwight H. Little

The Phantom of the Opera is a 1989 American horror film directed by Dwight H. Little and based on Gaston Leroux's novel of the same name. The film is an updated and gorier version of Leroux's classic tale and stars Robert Englund as the titular character. The film was a critical and commercial failure.

<i>Freddys Dead: The Final Nightmare</i> 1991 film by Rachel Talalay

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare is a 1991 American slasher film and the sixth film in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. It is a sequel to A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child and was originally intended to be the final installment of the series; Wes Craven's New Nightmare was released three years later but takes place outside the series canon. A canonical crossover/sequel, Freddy vs. Jason, was released in 2003. This was New Line Cinema's first 3D film release.

<i>A Nightmare on Elm Street</i> 1984 American slasher film by Wes Craven

A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and stars Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger, and Johnny Depp in his film debut. The film's plot concerns a group of teenagers who are targeted by Krueger, an undead child killer who can murder people through their dreams, as retribution against their parents who burned him alive.

<i>A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors</i> 1987 film by Chuck Russell

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is a 1987 American fantasy slasher film directed by Chuck Russell in his feature directorial debut. The story was developed by Wes Craven and Bruce Wagner and is the third installment in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and stars Heather Langenkamp, Patricia Arquette, Larry Fishburne, Priscilla Pointer, Craig Wasson, and Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger. Nancy Thompson, now a psychiatrist, and Kristen, a patient who can bring others into her own dreams, team up with other kids to launch a daring rescue into the dreamland and save a child from Freddy Krueger.

<i>A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master</i> 1988 film by Renny Harlin

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master is a 1988 American fantasy slasher film directed by Renny Harlin, and is the fourth installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Serving as a sequel to A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), the film follows Freddy Krueger who, following the death of Nancy Thompson and completing his revenge against the families who killed him, reappears in the dreams of Kristen Parker, Joey Crusel, and Roland Kincaid, where he uses Kristen's best friend, Alice Johnson, to gain access to new victims in order to satiate his murderous needs. The Dream Master is often popularly referred to as "the MTV Nightmare" of the franchise.

<i>A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child</i> 1989 film by Stephen Hopkins

A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child is a 1989 American slasher film directed by Stephen Hopkins and written by Leslie Bohem. It is the fifth installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, and stars Lisa Wilcox, and Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger. The film follows Krueger, using a now pregnant Alice Johnson's baby's dreams to claim new victims.

Nancy Thompson (<i>A Nightmare on Elm Street</i>) Main character in the A Nightmare on Elm Street series

Nancy Thompson is a fictional character in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. She first appears in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) as a teenager hunted in her dreams by enigmatic serial killer Freddy Krueger. In this film, she was portrayed by Heather Langenkamp—who reprises the role in the sequel, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987). Langenkamp later portrayed a fictional version of herself who embodies the role of Nancy in Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994). A reimagined version of the character, Nancy Holbrook, is portrayed by Rooney Mara in the 2010 remake.

<i>Rec</i> (film) 2007 film by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza

Rec is a 2007 Spanish found footage horror film co-written and directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza. The film stars Manuela Velasco as a reporter who, with her cameraman, accompany a group of firefighters on an emergency call to an apartment building to discover an infection spreading inside, with the building being sealed up and all occupants ordered to follow a strict quarantine.

<i>A Nightmare on Elm Street</i> (2010 film) American supernatural slasher film by Samuel Bayer

A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 2010 American supernatural slasher film directed by Samuel Bayer, written by Wesley Strick and Eric Heisserer, and starring Jackie Earle Haley, Kyle Gallner, Rooney Mara, Katie Cassidy, Thomas Dekker, and Kellan Lutz. Produced by Michael Bay and Platinum Dunes, it is a remake of Wes Craven's 1984 film of the same name, as well as the ninth overall installment of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film is set in a fictitious town in Ohio and centers on a group of teenagers living on one street who are stalked and murdered in their dreams by a disfigured man named Freddy Krueger. The teenagers discover that they all share a common link from their childhood that makes them targets for Krueger.

<i>A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddys Revenge</i> 1985 film by Jack Sholder

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge is a 1985 American supernatural slasher film directed by Jack Sholder and written by David Chaskin. It stars Mark Patton, Kim Myers, Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger, and Robert Rusler. It is the second installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film follows Jesse Walsh, a teenager who begins having recurring nightmares about Freddy Krueger after moving into the former home of Nancy Thompson from the first film.

Patricio Valladares is a Chilean film director, screenwriter and comic book writer, best known for his work in horror films, who mixes elements of both arthouse and grindhouse, with an emphasis on modern extreme violence, action and some gore. He is also involved in comics and short movies, and frequently injects black humor or homages to grindhouse movies, along with artistic cinematography, somewhat intellectual dialogue and the occasional surrealism. His serial killers tend to make repeat appearances in his movies.

<i>Wax Mask</i> 1997 film

Wax Mask is a 1997 Gothic horror film. The film is set in Rome where a Wax Museum has opened up, whose main attraction is gruesome murder scenes. Shortly after its opening, people began to vanish as new figures appear in the museum.

Alice Johnson (<i>A Nightmare on Elm Street</i>) Fictional character in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise

Alice Johnson is a fictional character in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. She first appears in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) as a teenager that inherits dream superpowers from the victims of enigmatic serial killer Freddy Krueger. In this film, she was portrayed by Lisa Wilcox—who reprises the role in A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse Walsh</span> Fictional character

Jesse Walsh is a fictional character in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. He was created by David Chaskin and portrayed by Mark Patton. Making his debut in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge in 1985, Jesse became the first male protagonist of the series. In Freddy's Revenge, Freddy enacts a plan to possess Jesse, using his body to kill in the real world, slowly gaining the strength to manifest his form physically. Outside of the films, Jesse has a main role in the novels. Because of the LGBT representation in a mainstream film, Jesse has developed a large fan base in the gay community and has been called a gay icon. Jesse has been observed by some scholars as a variation of the "final girl" slasher film archetype, and instead a "final boy".

1428 Elm Street, also known as [the] Elm Street House, is a fictional residential house and street address in Springwood, Ohio, and is an important location in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, where it has been the home of Nancy Thompson and her mother, later Jesse Walsh and his family, and finally Lori Campbell and her father, throughout the film series. It has also been implied to have been Freddy Krueger's home at some point before the events that take place in the films. It appears in some form in nearly all the films, as well as literature, comic books, toys, and music videos. The house, like Freddy Krueger, Nancy Thompson, Tina Gray, and Kristen Parker, were all conceived by Wes Craven.

<i>Nightmares on Elm Street</i> Comic book series set in the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" universe

Nightmares on Elm Street is a six-issue comic book limited series set within the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, set chronologically between A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989) and Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991). It was written by comic book writer Andy Mangels and published bimonthly throughout 1991 and 1992 by Innovation Publishing. The first two issues revolves mainly around Nancy Thompson's fate following her murder by Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, while issue three through six deals primarily with the return of Alice Johnson and her son Jacob to Springwood. The comics are considered to be canonical to the franchise.

References

  1. ↑ Miska, Brad. "Exclusive First Look At Robert Englund In 'Nightworld'!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  2. ↑ Kay, Jeremy. "EXCLUSIVE: Jason London stars in the upcoming supernatural horror from the Chilean director". Screen Daily. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  3. ↑ Risker, Paul (25 August 2017). "Do We Have to Explain Everything? Director Patricio Valladares on 'Nightworld'". PopMatters . Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  4. ↑ Benardello, Karen (20 October 2017). "Interview: Robert Englund Talks Nightworld (Exclusive)". ShockYa.com. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  5. ↑ Murray, Noel (19 October 2017). "Atmospheric thriller 'Nightworld' delivers too little, too late". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 18 February 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.