Strip-tease artist Anna(Diana Lorys of Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll)is having disturbing nightmares where she's forced against her will, it seems(..possibly under hypnosis by lover Cynthia? We do see her lips moving without words uttered as she stares towards the screen as if giving orders right before the off-screen murders occur), to murder people she doesn't even know. Her nervous cries to psychiatrist Dr. Paul Lucas(Paul Muller)are resisted, as he seems to offer an ear, but often scoffs at the idea of her being crazy, suggesting that hospital care might be an option worth pursuing. Anna is convinced that her lover, Cynthia(Colette Giacobine)is behind what ills her...this stems from the fact that the nightmares really didn't start until after beginning their love affair. Meanwhile a couple(Andrés Monales & Soledad Miranda), neighbors who live across from Cynthia's home where Anna stays, are often shown spying on them awaiting their "pay day".
To be honest, there are some major problems that keep Franco's mystery undermined. I think Lorys is good in the right role, but, to be honest, she's not really the archetypal heroine that leads a Jess Franco production. Lorys isn't ugly, but I'm afraid to say that she doesn't really have the beauty needed for this particular role. And, Lorys tends to take it a bit over the top, except one scene, my favorite, which is in a dream sequence where Anna has this moment of tranquility and peace(..and what truly enhances this dream sequence is Bruno Nicolai's melodic and serene score which only makes the final result of it even more tragic and sad)as a possibility of true love with a fling of Cynthia's(played by Franco regular Jack Taylor)only to end in tragedy. I think Lorys is at her best when the character is subdued with the turmoil and paranoia bubbling underneath the surface, not elaborated outwardly where she often descends into hopeless melodramatics. My favorite actor in Franco's "inner circle" is Paul Muller, and he doesn't fail me here, either. His character carries an appearance as of someone who cares about the plight of a patient, listening to what Anna has to say with a quiet observance, delicately offering advice and solemn treatment to her..I think, in portraying the doctor in such a fashion, the end result with him makes a greater impact. I don't think anyone ever doubted Cynthia was corrupt. Cynthia, almost from the get-go, is pointed out as a culprit behind Anna's trauma..the way she slaps her around when angry at Anna for behaving "out of line" or how she seems little bothered at the suffering her lover is going through. Fans who adore Soledad Miranda will be sorely disappointed, because her role in the film is minimal. This is Lorys film, and Franco's camera doesn't shy away from closing in on her face and naked flesh. Lorys, like many a Franco heroine, wears revealing, see-through gowns, or those types opened down the middle as she sprawls out on a bed either in a seductive pose or under a difficult mental(..or nightmarish)state. The DVD version I watched of Nightmares Come at Night was full screen and the technical aspects of a low budget show. The lighting in certain scenes was rather blah, making it hard to see certain actions(..like a sex scene between Anna and a couple she would murder)taking place. Still, I've seen worse films than this and it held my attention..any film which uses dreams and a troubled heroine inflicted by them will always have a place with me. I have to say this is one of the saddest and grim Franco films I've seen. Two scenes which didn't work for me were the longish strip-tease sequence with Anna(..when she meets Cynthia for the first time;perhaps, I just never found Lorys acceptable or convincing so the act didn't wash)and a love-making scene between her and Cynthia due to Franco's blurring the camera not allowing us to see what was taking place between them. I think the best aspect of the film is Nicolai's score..it perfectly accentuates the mood of the story and characters even if the cast doesn't always succeed.
To be honest, there are some major problems that keep Franco's mystery undermined. I think Lorys is good in the right role, but, to be honest, she's not really the archetypal heroine that leads a Jess Franco production. Lorys isn't ugly, but I'm afraid to say that she doesn't really have the beauty needed for this particular role. And, Lorys tends to take it a bit over the top, except one scene, my favorite, which is in a dream sequence where Anna has this moment of tranquility and peace(..and what truly enhances this dream sequence is Bruno Nicolai's melodic and serene score which only makes the final result of it even more tragic and sad)as a possibility of true love with a fling of Cynthia's(played by Franco regular Jack Taylor)only to end in tragedy. I think Lorys is at her best when the character is subdued with the turmoil and paranoia bubbling underneath the surface, not elaborated outwardly where she often descends into hopeless melodramatics. My favorite actor in Franco's "inner circle" is Paul Muller, and he doesn't fail me here, either. His character carries an appearance as of someone who cares about the plight of a patient, listening to what Anna has to say with a quiet observance, delicately offering advice and solemn treatment to her..I think, in portraying the doctor in such a fashion, the end result with him makes a greater impact. I don't think anyone ever doubted Cynthia was corrupt. Cynthia, almost from the get-go, is pointed out as a culprit behind Anna's trauma..the way she slaps her around when angry at Anna for behaving "out of line" or how she seems little bothered at the suffering her lover is going through. Fans who adore Soledad Miranda will be sorely disappointed, because her role in the film is minimal. This is Lorys film, and Franco's camera doesn't shy away from closing in on her face and naked flesh. Lorys, like many a Franco heroine, wears revealing, see-through gowns, or those types opened down the middle as she sprawls out on a bed either in a seductive pose or under a difficult mental(..or nightmarish)state. The DVD version I watched of Nightmares Come at Night was full screen and the technical aspects of a low budget show. The lighting in certain scenes was rather blah, making it hard to see certain actions(..like a sex scene between Anna and a couple she would murder)taking place. Still, I've seen worse films than this and it held my attention..any film which uses dreams and a troubled heroine inflicted by them will always have a place with me. I have to say this is one of the saddest and grim Franco films I've seen. Two scenes which didn't work for me were the longish strip-tease sequence with Anna(..when she meets Cynthia for the first time;perhaps, I just never found Lorys acceptable or convincing so the act didn't wash)and a love-making scene between her and Cynthia due to Franco's blurring the camera not allowing us to see what was taking place between them. I think the best aspect of the film is Nicolai's score..it perfectly accentuates the mood of the story and characters even if the cast doesn't always succeed.