What Is Nightmare About?
The premise of Nightmare in 345 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the shadowed corridors of a New York City psychiatric facility, George Tatum has spent years under the watchful eye of doctors, his mind a tangled web of schizophrenia, amnesia, and epilepsy. An experimental procedure promises to rewrite his memories and present him as a reformed citizen, yet the remnants of a brutal childhood linger like a half‑remembered nightmare. The film opens with a stark, clinical atmosphere that quickly gives way to the pulsing neon of the city, hinting that the line between treatment and terror is far thinner than anyone hopes.
Released into the frantic rhythm of the city, George drifts through the noisy streets, his senses constantly tugged by flashes of a past he cannot fully grasp. A visit to a Times Square peep show acts as a catalyst, stirring fragmented images that cling to his thoughts and suggesting that the inner demons he thought were silenced may still be waiting to surface. The tone is one of uneasy anticipation, where every ordinary encounter hints at an unseen undercurrent of fear.
Compelled by a lingering sense of unfinished business, George travels south to reconnect with his former life. He arrives at the home of Susan Temper, his estranged wife, where their daughters Kim Temper and Tammy Temper and mischievous son C.J. Temper maintain a fragile domestic routine. The family’s seemingly ordinary existence is juxtaposed against a remote, sun‑baked landscape that feels both inviting and isolating, underscoring the tension between safety and the unknown. Subtle disturbances—a series of unsettling phone calls, the children’s whispered anxieties—suggest that the past may be inching closer to the present.
The movie rides a slow‑burning psychological thriller wave, blending gritty urban realism with a suffocating, dream‑like dread. Its atmosphere is saturated with muted colors, flickering lights, and a soundtrack that ebbs and flows like a restless heartbeat. As George navigates a world that expects his redemption, the audience is left to wonder whether the nightmares that haunt him are memories, hallucinations, or something far more threatening—an ever‑present specter that could shatter the fragile peace he is trying to reclaim.
What Happens in Nightmare?
The complete story of Nightmare, from the first scene to the last, in 475 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 8 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
George Tatum, Baird Stafford, has spent many years incarcerated in a New York City psychiatric facility after sexually mutilating and murdering a family in Brooklyn. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, amnesia, and epilepsy, he undergoes an experimental procedure that reprograms his brain, reforming him into an upstanding citizen. Yet hazy nightmares of the childhood violence linger, hinting at a past he cannot fully escape.
Upon his release, George visits a peep show in Times Square, triggering vivid flashbacks to his father’s murder. The pull of those memories shadows his every step as he navigates a world that wants to see him as a reformed man rather than a danger still simmering beneath the surface.
The next day, he obtains a car and heads south to Florida to visit his ex-wife Susan Temper, Sharon Smith; their daughters Kim Temper, Kim Patterson and Tammy Temper, Tammy Patterson, and their mischievous young son C.J. Temper, C.J. Cooke. Their carefully maintained domestic routine is fractured by a broken-down car in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where he spends a harrowing overnight period and, in a brutal act, follows a woman home from a bar and slashes her to death. Back in New York, George’s psychiatrists realize he has fled and they begin tracking his movements across state lines.
In Florida, Susan is in a relationship with her boyfriend Bob Rosen, Mik Cribben, and struggles with the responsibilities of a single mother. Her house begins receiving a stream of disturbing phone calls, and no one realizes that these calls are coming from the man who vanished from the city. Kathy the Babysitter, Danny Ronan, takes on the night shift, only to be unsettled by the relentless ring of the phone. C.J. begins claiming he is being followed by a strange man—his father George—though Susan writes it off as one of his pranks. As the danger intensifies, George murders Tony, a classmate of C.J., and a teenage girl named Candy in an abandoned house during a game of hide-and-seek.
Kathy agrees to babysit the children the following night, and the house becomes a site of terror as George infiltrates the home and murders Kathy and her boyfriend with a rock pick. After donning one of C.J.’s Halloween masks, an old man—[George] himself in disguise—pursues the children, who barricade themselves in the upstairs bedrooms. C.J. manages to obtain a revolver from his mother’s dresser and fires eight shots at George, ending the immediate threat.
In his dying moments, George experiences a full memory of his childhood, including the moment he caught his father, William Kirksey, engaged in sadomasochistic acts with another woman, and the terrible murder that followed with a felling axe. Susan rushes home to find police removing George’s body, and she hysterically identifies him as her husband. The closing image lingers on C.J., sitting in a police car, winking knowingly at the camera.
Nightmare Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
14 key events in the order they happen, from “Incarceration and brain reprogramming” to “Ending and aftermath”. 14 events name a place, across 7 locations.
- 1
Incarceration and brain reprogramming
George Tatum is incarcerated in a New York City psychiatric institution for years after sexually mutilating and murdering a family in Brooklyn. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, amnesia, and epilepsy, he undergoes an experimental procedure that 'reprograms' his brain, supposedly reforming him into an upstanding citizen.
When:during incarceration (before release) Where:New York City
- 2
Release and triggering memories
Following the procedure, George is released and visits a Times Square peep show, triggering hazy flashbacks of his father's murder. The encounter unsettles him as memories of past violence resurface.
When:shortly after release Where:Times Square, New York City
- 3
Leaving NYC for Florida
George obtains a car and drives south toward his ex-wife Susan Temper's Florida home, seeking to reconnect with his family. This road trip marks a break from rehabilitation and sets the stage for new acts of violence.
When:early on the trip Where:On the road from New York to Florida
- 4
Car breakdown in Myrtle Beach
En route, his car breaks down in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and he is stranded overnight. The isolation leaves him with time to act on violent impulses.
When:overnight Where:Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- 5
Myrtle Beach murder
While stranded, George follows a woman home from a local bar and brutally slashes her to death. The killing demonstrates that he remains dangerous and capable of murderous acts despite his earlier reconditioning.
When:night Where:Myrtle Beach
- 6
Psychiatrists track him
Back in New York, George's psychiatrists discover he has fled the city and begin tracking his movements. They mobilize to monitor his route and anticipate his next target.
When:after the escape Where:New York City
- 7
Disturbing phone calls begin in Florida
In Florida, Susan's house begins receiving numerous disturbing phone calls that go unanswered by the family. Unbeknownst to them, George is the caller.
When:ongoing while he travels Where:Florida
- 8
C.J. believes he's being followed
C.J. begins insisting that a strange man—his father George—is following him, but Susan dismisses it as another prank. The family remains unaware of the danger closing in.
When:during the events Where:Florida
- 9
Murders of Tony and Candy
George murders Tony, a classmate of C.J., and Candy, a teenage girl, in an abandoned house during a game of hide-and-seek. These killings intensify the danger looming over the Florida family.
When:during the events Where:Florida
- 10
Kathy babysits and is murdered
Kathy agrees to babysit the children the following day while Susan attends a party. During the night, George infiltrates the house and murders Kathy and her boyfriend with a rock pick.
When:night Where:Susan's Florida home
Show the other 4 events of Nightmare Hide the last 4 events
- 11
The chase inside the house
After donning one of C.J.'s Halloween masks, an old man George pursues the children, who barricade themselves in the upstairs bedrooms. The tense pursuit heightens the fear and danger in the home.
When:night Where:Susan's Florida home
- 12
C.J.'s counterattack
C.J. obtains a revolver from his mother's dresser and shoots George eight times, ending the immediate threat. The child emerges as the unlikely savior in a moment of brutal violence.
When:night Where:Susan's Florida home
- 13
George's dying memory
In his dying moments, George has a full recollection of his childhood, including witnessing his father engaging in sadomasochistic sex with another woman and murdering them with a felling axe. The memory reveals the source of his own violent urges.
When:dying moment Where:Florida
- 14
Ending and aftermath
Susan returns home to find police removing George's body and hysterically identifies him as her husband. The film ends with C.J. sitting in a police car, winking knowingly at the camera.
When:ending Where:Florida
Who Are the Main Characters in Nightmare?
10 characters, among them George Tatum (Baird Stafford), Susan Temper (Sharon Smith) and C.J. Temper (CJ Cooke): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- GT
George Tatum (Baird Stafford)
Played by Baird Stafford
A man reprogrammed by an experimental procedure, outwardly respectable but haunted by a violent, unresolved past. His fragile mental state, marked by nightmares and memory gaps, repeatedly pushes him toward murderous impulses. The character embodies a chilling tension between reform and relapse as he pursues his former family.
- 🧠 Mind
- 🔪 Violence
- ST
Susan Temper (Sharon Smith)
Played by Sharon Smith
George’s former wife and the mother figure at the center of the Florida segment. She juggles single motherhood, a new relationship, and mounting fear as disturbing calls invade her life. Her instinct to protect Kim, Tammy, and C.J. anchors the family’s struggle to endure the threat.
- 🏠 Family life
- 📞 Danger
- 💬 Phone calls
- CT
C.J. Temper (CJ Cooke)
Played by C.J. Cooke
The mischievous young son who becomes an inadvertent link between the past and the present danger. He experiences paranoia of being followed, yet his actions culminate in defending his family when confronted by the killer. His perspective highlights how childhood innocence collides with brutal reality.
- 🧒 Child
- 🛡️ Defense
- TT
Tammy Temper (Tammy Patterson)
Played by Tammy Patterson
One of Susan’s daughters, living in the Florida home. Tammy represents the vulnerable family member whose safety is jeopardized by the intrusions of a violent past made present. Her presence intensifies the protective instincts of the adults around her.
- 👧 Daughter
- 🏡 Florida
- KT
Kim Temper (Kim Patterson)
Played by Kim Patterson
Susan’s other daughter who shares the Florida home and the danger it attracts. Kim’s experience mirrors the family’s fragile balance between normal life and a creeping threat, underscoring the stakes of keeping children safe.
- 👧 Daughter
- 🏡 Florida
- BR
Bob Rosen (Mik Cribben)
Played by Mik Cribben
Susan’s boyfriend in Florida, providing a complicated adult relationship amid the household’s turmoil. His presence adds another layer to the domestic dynamics and the strain of maintaining stability under crisis.
- 💑 Partner
- 🏡 Domestic life
- KT
Kathy the Babysitter (Danny Ronan)
Played by Danny Ronan
The babysitter who becomes entangled in the night’s danger as the killer closes in on the children. Her role heightens the sense of vulnerability in the household and the fragility of safety in unfamiliar environments.
- 👩🍼 Babysitter
- ⚠️ Danger
- GF
George's Father (William Kirksey)
Played by William Kirksey
A figure from George’s memory who embodies the coercive, abusive past. The memory of his father’s actions, including a brutal murder, catalyzes George’s violent trajectory and reveals the roots of his trauma.
- 👨 Father
- 🩸 Abuse
- GM
George's Mother (Christina Keefe)
Played by Christina Keefe
George’s mother, a recalled presence in his childhood that underscores the family’s troubled history. Her character contributes to the exploration of family dynamics and the origins of George’s pathology.
- 👩 Mother
- 🕰️ Memory
- YG
Young George (Scott Praetorius)
Played by Scott Praetorius
A younger version of George that appears in flashbacks, illustrating the formative events that shape his later behavior. The portrayal provides context for the film’s exploration of trauma and identity.
- 🧒 Young George
Where and When Is Nightmare Set?
Nightmare is set in New York City, Times Square, Myrtle Beach and Florida. Here is why the place matters to the story.
Where
New York City, Times Square, Myrtle Beach, Florida
The action begins in New York City, with a psychiatric institution and a grim peep-show scene in Times Square anchoring the protagonist’s troubled past. The story then shifts to the Florida home of Susan Temper and her children, grounding the film in a suburban, domestic setting under threat. A detour to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina provides a temporary road-trip backdrop that heightens the tension before the pursuit returns to Florida.
- 🏙️ Urban
- 🧠 Crime
- 🌴 Florida setting
What Are the Themes of Nightmare?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Memory and Trauma, Violence and Family and Protection.
-
01
Memory and Trauma
George carries a traumatic childhood memory that resurfaces as nightmares after his brain is allegedly reprogrammed. The film probes how unresolved past violence continues to shape present actions. Flashbacks gradually reveal the origin of his murderous impulses, suggesting memory as both a burden and a weapon.
-
02
Violence
Violence punctuates every location—from a bar, to an abandoned house, to the family home—driving the plot forward. The killings escalate as George pursues his victims across states, forcing others to confront the danger he embodies. The climactic confrontation tests whether violence can be stopped or merely transferred to new victims.
-
03
Family and Protection
The core conflict concerns family safety under siege: a mother trying to shield her children, a son unwillingly stepping into a protective role, and the memory of a father who betrayed that protection. The narrative frames family bonds as both a motive for survival and a vulnerability exploited by a predator. The ending centers on the children’s attempt to end the threat and reclaim their sense of safety.
What Kind of Film Is Nightmare?
Dark in tone, with steady pacing and a straightforward story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Straightforward
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bleak
A gritty and relentless slasher film that generates constant anxiety as it follows a psychologically broken man's descent into violence, culminating in a brutal home invasion and a bleak, unsettling conclusion.
- sleazy
- disturbing
- anxious
- gritty
- brutal
- unsettling
- schizophrenia
- serial killer
- psychological trauma
- family in peril
Content notes: child murder, graphic violence, stalking, psychological trauma, disturbing childhood memory.
Quiz
How well do you remember Nightmare? Test yourself on the story.
Where to Watch Nightmare
Stream it on ARROW and Bloodstream, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
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