REVIEW: ‘Parasomnia (2026)’ Delivers A Diverse Cast And Great Practical Effects

It’s not every day that a supernatural horror film is written and directed by a Black filmmaker, features an all-Black cast, and offers more than just the typical demon haunting a nice house. Parasomnia (2026), directed by James Ross II, offers viewers gory practical effects and a likable lead character. 

Parasomnia (2026) follows a woman named Riley (Jasmine Mathews) who has a lot of trauma and suffers from night terrors. When things start to go awry due to her best friend David (Stephen Barrington) going missing, Riley must sort out who the demon is that’s following her and try to stop it. Supernatural horror isn’t always predictable because every filmmaker approaches the subgenre differently. But for a film like this to potentially surprise viewers in its narrative direction is rather impressive. 

Parasomnia (2026) opens with a flashback to when Riley and her best friend, David, were teenagers in a group home together. Gruesome events occurred in the house that day, and at the time, Riley was experiencing a night terror. We then fast-forward to 2024 and find Riley trying her best to live an incredibly structured life under a strict regimen. Only to have David, her boyfriend Cam (RJ Brown), and her newly made friend Ailish (Danny Brown) throw her a surprise birthday celebration. 

Jasmine Mathews delivers a good performance in Parasomnia (2026).

As the mini birthday celebration continues, we learn more about the group through a silly game of two truths and a lie. Riley reveals that she can make herself fall asleep instantly and that she hasn’t cried in two and a half years. Both admissions are a bit startling in their own right, especially given that it’s clear Riley has gone through a lot in her young life. As the film reveals its surprise twists and turns, those truths become less puzzling for the viewers. 

Jasmine Mathews delivers a good performance in her waking scenes and in the scenes in the other realm she visits during her night terrors. She’s a fully capable lead in a horror film, but she’s still allowed to struggle in terms of figuring out what’s happening to her. Black women being depicted as flawed and vulnerable is incredibly important, especially when Black women characters are occasionally folded into the “strong Black woman” trope.

Aside from Mathews, the rest of the small cast does what they need to with their respective screen time in Parasomnia (2026). Though Mathews still shines the most because she has the most to work with as a character. In terms of chemistry, Mathews and Barrington have the most when they’re in scenes together. Unfortunately, there are not nearly enough throughout the film. 

Ross II clearly understands atmosphere and how to craft unsettling and gory scenes.

As far as the plot goes, Parasomnia (2026) isn’t too stereotypical in its direction, since it’s not about supernatural disturbances in one location. Nor does the plot force the characters to behave irrationally to boost the body count. All the deaths in the film that occur in the present day are nearly unavoidable because everything is doomed to fall apart. 

Ross II clearly understands atmosphere and how to craft unsettling and gory scenes. The film features plenty, if not all, practical effects that are entirely believable. It’s clear that A Nightmare on Elm Street provided some influence with its dream world, but the demon we see throughout the film isn’t remotely a copy of Freddy (Robert Englund). And that’s refreshing, because original horror should be allowed to create its own monsters. 

Parasomnia (2026) delivers representation that feels natural rather than tacked on.

It’s not a perfect horror film, as there are certain characters that aren’t entirely needed, the style of filming when they’re in the other realm (or dream world) is far scarier than the waking world, and the creature isn’t featured as much. Though some of that can be attributed to the shorter runtime and budgetary restrictions. Those things become a matter of whether or not they ruin your viewing experience or just add blips to it. 

Parasomnia (2026) is a supernatural horror film you can easily watch by yourself or with folks you enjoy spending time with. You’ll be unlikely to regret giving this one a chance, even if it doesn’t blow your mind upon first watch. 

All in all, Parasomnia (2026) is a lovely debut feature by Ross II, and it delivers representation that feels natural rather than tacked on. The practical effects will satisfy horror lovers who are tired of horrible CGI ruining moments of dread and fear. And the twists may be surprising for those who are usually great at figuring those out when they watch horror. 

Parasomnia (2026) premieres September 4, 2026, exclusively on Shudder.