Shudder is adding a bold debut to its fall horror lineup. Parasomnia, the first feature from writer-director James Ross II, streams exclusively on Shudder beginning Friday, September 4.
The film follows Riley, a young woman plagued by night terrors and the weight of unresolved tragedy. When her best friend becomes the latest person to go missing, Riley begins to suspect the demonic figure stalking her dreams has crossed over into the waking world. Ross builds the film around an emotionally grounded premise that escalates into visceral genre territory — blending real-world grief with supernatural dread in a way critics are already responding to.
Ross is a Washington, D.C.-area filmmaker who entered the industry in 2023 as one of five graduate students selected for a Gotham Award for his horror short Don’t Blink. Parasomnia, his debut feature, came to him through his own relationship with sleep anxiety — a deeply personal lens on a universal fear.
“There’s nothing better than discovering a fresh, exciting filmmaking voice,” said Matt Donato of Daily Dead. “Ross goes for the killshot with gruesome imagery that crawls under your skin.”
The cast includes Jasmine Mathews, RJ Brown, Sally Stewart, Stephen Barrington, Danny Brown, and Simon Longnight. The film was produced by Gabrielle Chapman and Pacey Hansen, with photography by Christopher Lee Fatt. The film runs 85 minutes.
For those in Chicago, Parasomnia screens at the Music Box Theatre on August 21 and 22 at 11:45pm. A New York ‘Shudder Showcase’ screening follows on September 2 at 7:30pm at the IFC Center.
Parasomnia debuts on Shudder on September 4, 2026.
