Dreams in Nightmares
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Synopsis
Three friends in their mid-thirties as they road trip across the Midwestern United States in search of their friend who has seemingly disappeared off the grid.
Moviegoers are saying
This Black queer road trip drama from director Shatara Michelle Ford has captivated festival audiences as a 'Black queer Paris, Texas' - a thoughtful coming-of-age story that trusts its characters over manufactured drama. While some viewers found the first half's visual inconsistencies and preachy moments frustrating, most praise its joyful celebration of Black queer community and refreshingly non-traumatic approach to grief.
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Letterboxd User Reviews
3.5
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1.4K
736
- Aug 22, 2026
I moderated a Q&A with the director and cast. What a lovely group of artists! This is releasing wide in 300 theatres across the country. Go support this thoughtful coming of age story
ziweFeb 16, 2025gives us a very fun jumpscare when suddenly a white woman shows up. The sound design and music were exquisite 🔥 watched at Berlinale 2025
MiKAFeb 16, 2025Sean Baker found dead in a ditch
Fran - Feb 16, 2025
for all of usoh 😭😭😭 what moved me most of all was the deep care between all the characters, and that this was so intentional about being a love letter to Black queer people, which explicitly extended beyond the characters in the film! they said yes you 🫵🥲 this was so…
nickyAug 1, 2026Something I learned at my old job while watching "every lesbian movie ever" is there really aren't that many queer character-driven American indies that are actually good and there really, really aren't that many queer character-driven American indies that aren't focused on…
Drew Burnett GregoryFeb 16, 2025Immensely frustrating just how much this film's inconsistent visual language undermines its own ambitions during the first half. On one hand, it presents a rich tapestry of Black queer and trans characters in ways we rarely see on screen. Yet, bafflingly, much of the…
Luca Bruno - Sep 5, 2026
Shatara Michelle Ford has named many times throughout the press and promotion for Dreams in Nightmares that they had wanted to make the Black queer Paris Texas and I think they have nailed it. A painfully honest film about contending with the harsh reality of the world we…
Movie Good or Movie Bad?Aug 18, 2026Shatara doesn’t reinvent the road trip drama, she expands it to include people who have always been part of America’s roads. So much that they made their own maps. A beautiful film, incredibly proud of Shatara for sharing this with us.
irathethirdAug 1, 2024At its best when it stays grounded and focused on the relationships between the main characters, which were so sweet and filmed with tenderness. Z and Lauren felt like real friends of mine. The movie lost me a little with the dream/ancestor plot line tho, and I think a lot…
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Aug 28, 2026
Even the most awkward parts of the film feel uniquely alive. But as Dreams in Nightmares wends its way to a close, it’s also easy to believe you’re witnessing a percolating virtuosity that’s all Ford’s own.
Robert Abele
Los Angeles Times
Aug 28, 2026
Shatara Michelle Ford’s sophomore feature Dreams in Nightmares is a Black road trip film with a big heart, full of warmth, healing, and beauty.
Jourdain Searles
The Film Stage
Aug 28, 2026
While the often dreamlike nature of some of Ford’s most thrilling sequences might hint at a more open-ended conclusion, what proves to be truly exciting about the film and Ford’s approach to it is the answers it does provide. Ford’s radical ideas and ideals reach a head in the film’s final act, as the road trip takes a new detour and finds still more surprises ahead.
Kate Erbland
IndieWire
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is Dreams in Nightmares (2026)?
The movie is 2hr 8min long.
What's Dreams in Nightmares (2026) about?
Three friends in their mid-thirties as they road trip across the Midwestern United States in search of their friend who has seemingly disappeared off the grid.
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