Fresh Found Footage to Bring New Nightmares
Sleep Stalker, a found footage tale, has been woven for 2025, and while it’s one of many films of this kind, the execution is all kinds of fun freakiness. Found footage has become one of the most successful forms of supernatural horror out there. From Paranormal Activity, to The Taking of Deborah Logan, Hell House LLC, and the original, The Blair Witch Project, found footage films have produced groundbreaking fear, but what Sleep Stalker adds is a fresh take with added intrigue and impressive faces.
The Science in the Problem
According to the Mayo Clinic, “sleep disorders are conditions that change the way you sleep.” For Shane, his sleep disorder includes sleep walking and other behaviors that begin to affect his life and his partner’s life in a serious and dangerous way. “Sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism, is when people get up and walk around while asleep.” But his problem is more than a medical one. Shane Manning (Josh Gilmer) and Abby Eastman (Gabrielle Montes de Oca) are YouTubers who create professional “do-it-yourself” content for their channel. After buying a home, sight unseen, to renovate, they soon find that something isn’t quite right in their new nest. Shane soon succumbs to a sleep disorder and a mysterious, evil spirit, as a slow dread begins to take over. Gilmer, who has 29 acting credits to his name, gives Shane a sweet, lovable persona until this new nightmare turns his life upside down. Known for his fun-loving, goofy role in the rom-com Seduction & Snacks (2021), Gilmer brings the same kind of likable energy to his character in Shane. There is one moment when Abby wakes to find Shane asleep, but opening and closing the oven door in the kitchen. It is almost a funny moment in a serious situation. Montes de Oca plays the charming Abby, who is naively unconvinced that a supernatural problem exists. Together, they must unite to fight the evil that seeks to take over. Montes de Oca plays Abby as sweet and a little fragile as things worsen within the house. As events become increasingly dangerous, Abby must show increasing strength.
Written, directed, and produced by Justin Shilton and Rob Zazzali, this film was created by a small team that delivered a quality product. Shilton, known for Little Miss Sunshine (2006), The Aviator (2004), and Shark Girl (2024), has 25 acting credits and numerous writer, producer, and director credits to his name.
Zazzali, known for Modern Family (2016), Swamp Monsters (2014), and Shark Girl (2024), has 15 producer credits and numerous actor, writer, and director credits to his name. In addition, Zazzali has several acting and web series awards under his belt, according to IMDb. In addition, the cast, while small, boasts impressive credentials, including Yvans Jourdain of Parks & Recreation (2009-2015), who plays Gabriel, the medium. It’s a small part, but one that adds a necessary sense of foreboding to the film. What added even more depth to the film was the research that went into it regarding sleep disorders. In the credits, there is a long list of research organizations that contributed. All of this information makes the story even more haunting.
The Proof is in the Footage
The cinematography is found footage, so it is filmed to look like a YouTuber’s personal camera with realistic scenes and bright sunshine throughout the day, when things are more at peace. The camera moves are natural as the person holding the camera moves. At night, when evil appears, there is little lighting, and the darkness emphasizes the evil that abounds. One of the most important scenes occurs when Shane is dragged from his bed by an unseen force. This happens in black and white, and from the perspective of a camera in the corner of the room. This supports the surprise, as well as the darkness of the emotions in the scene.
The music in the film is in the Mannings’ video introduction for the content. The video intro is the first set of scenes in the film, so it begins in a positive, airy aesthetic that demonstrates how normal everything is. In the rest of the film, the audience can hear haunting sound effects along with the strange occurrences. The rest of the movie is filmed with the natural movement of a personal camera. These elements were combined to create the creepiness needed for this film to work.
The Footage that was Found
In the end, Sleep Stalker is a compelling and creepy addition to found footage options on a Saturday night. Its originality lies within its realism, and that is where the fun lies, too. Rob Zazzali, Justin Shilton, and the company can be proud of their work in Sleep Stalker. If you are a found footage fan, don’t miss this film!
Watch Sleep Stalker on Prime Video and Apple TV+ today!
Sleep Stalker (2025) Official Swim Swim Entertainment Trailer
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Author
Elke Simmons' writing portfolio includes contributions to The Laredo Morning Times, Walt Disney World Eyes and Ears, Extinction Rebellion (XR) News/Blog, and Dead Talk News.