Parasomnia

From Mental Block

Parasomnia is a 2008 American horror film about a man (Dylan Purcell) who rescues a woman (Cherilyn Wilson) from a hospital, unaware that she is being tormented by a powerful hypnotist. The film costars Jeffrey Combs and Patrick Kilpatrick.

Plot Summary[edit | edit source]

Hypnotist Byron Volpe (Kilpatrick) is being held in a hospital after being convicted of hypnotizing his wife (Sean Young) into killing herself. The room next to his holds a young woman named Laura (Wilson), who suffers from parasomnia. Abused by staff and otherwise mostly forgotten, Laura is due to be moved to another hospital for experimentation. She is discovered and rescued by Danny (Purcell), who takes her back to his apartment. Danny tried to kindle a relationship with Laura during the brief times when she is awake.

What Danny doesn't know is that Volpe is able to enter Laura's mind while she sleeps. While he chases her around the dreamscape in her mind, he is also able to control her sleeping body, and uses her to murder one of Danny's neighbors- as well as a detective sent to investigate the crime.

Danny decides to kill Volpe to free Laura from his control, but when he goes to the hospital, Volpe get free and kidnaps Laura, while Danny is captured by Detective Garrett, who is also under Volpe's control. At Volpe's lair, the mesmerist orders Garrett to play Russian roulette while he forces Danny to denounce his love for Laura. Garrett "loses" the game, and the sound of the gunshot is enough to free Danny from his trance. He defeats Volpe and saves Laura, only to be shot by a dying Garrett.

At the hospital, a comatose Danny and the sleeping Laura lay side-by-side. They continue their romance inside Laura's new, peaceful dreamscape.

  • Madeline Volpe is hypnotized by a phone call

    Madeline Volpe is hypnotized by a phone call

  • Wordlessly she stands up

    Wordlessly she stands up

  • And jumps from her balcony to her death

    And jumps from her balcony to her death

  • Danny discovers Laura while visiting a friend in hospital

    Danny discovers Laura while visiting a friend in hospital

  • Laura's doctor explains that she spends nearly all of her time sleeping

    Laura's doctor explains that she spends nearly all of her time sleeping

  • Unknown to them, Laura's dreams are actually constant nightmares

    Unknown to them, Laura's dreams are actually constant nightmares

  • Vople is kept tied up and hooded in a neighboring room

    Vople is kept tied up and hooded in a neighboring room

  • The smitten Danny visits Laura

    The smitten Danny visits Laura

  • To his surprise

    To his surprise

  • She wakes up

    She wakes up

  • She recognizes him from a shared dream they've both had

    She recognizes him from a shared dream they've both had

  • Danny leans that Laura's doctor is unethical and dangerous

    Danny leans that Laura's doctor is unethical and dangerous

  • Danny steals Laura from the hospital

    Danny steals Laura from the hospital

  • Laura enjoys her new freedom

    Laura enjoys her new freedom

  • But Volpe is powerful

    But Volpe is powerful

  • Even from a distance he can haunt her dreams

    Even from a distance he can haunt her dreams

  • And attack her

    And attack her

  • And control her mind

    And control her mind

  • Laura attacks Danny

    Laura attacks Danny

  • When he escapes, she mindlessly stabs a pillow

    When he escapes, she mindlessly stabs a pillow

  • Laura in a trance

    Laura in a trance

  • Danny discovers that his neighbor has been murdered

    Danny discovers that his neighbor has been murdered

  • A detective questions Danny about the murder

    A detective questions Danny about the murder

  • A mind-controlled Laura brutally kills the detective

    A mind-controlled Laura brutally kills the detective

  • In a mindless trance, controlled by Volpe

    In a mindless trance, controlled by Volpe

  • A terrified Laura wakes up with no memory of her actions

    A terrified Laura wakes up with no memory of her actions

  • Danny confronts Volpe

    Danny confronts Volpe

  • Who taunts and mocks him

    Who taunts and mocks him

  • Before breaking free

    Before breaking free

  • And removes his mask

    And removes his mask

  • The guard is smart enough not to look into Volpe's eyes

    The guard is smart enough not to look into Volpe's eyes

  • But the nurse is not

    But the nurse is not

  • And she is instantly hypnotized

    And she is instantly hypnotized

  • The guard gives her orders, but she only hears Volpe

    The guard gives her orders, but she only hears Volpe

  • She mindlessly slits his throat

    She mindlessly slits his throat

  • And awaits her next command

    And awaits her next command

  • Volpe orders the nurse to kill Danny

    Volpe orders the nurse to kill Danny

  • Then heads out to grab Laura

    Then heads out to grab Laura

  • Danny stops the nurse, but not before she goes on a killing spree

    Danny stops the nurse, but not before she goes on a killing spree

  • Meanwhile, Vople finds a note in his stolen car and gets an idea

    Meanwhile, Vople finds a note in his stolen car and gets an idea

  • Two beautiful women practice for their recital

    Two beautiful women practice for their recital

  • When one leaves to meet their driver

    When one leaves to meet their driver

  • She finds her companion blindfolded and acting strangely

    She finds her companion blindfolded and acting strangely

  • Then she looks into Volpe's eyes...

    Then she looks into Volpe's eyes...

  • A slight change of plans

    A slight change of plans

  • Detective Garrett finds Danny

    Detective Garrett finds Danny

  • But he is hypnotized over the phone by Volpe

    But he is hypnotized over the phone by Volpe

  • Garrett takes Danny to Volpe's lair

    Garrett takes Danny to Volpe's lair

  • Full of Volpe's bizarre automatons

    Full of Volpe's bizarre automatons

  • While his hypnotized musicians

    While his hypnotized musicians

  • Play for him

    Play for him

  • And Garrett plays Russian roulette

    And Garrett plays Russian roulette

  • That's a pre-stardom Allison Brie as the hypnotist musician

    That's a pre-stardom Allison Brie as the hypnotist musician

  • Volpe admires his 'sleeping beauty'

    Volpe admires his 'sleeping beauty'

  • Laura wakes up

    Laura wakes up

  • Vople turns his gaze on Danny

    Vople turns his gaze on Danny

  • Danny is hypnotized

    Danny is hypnotized

  • Volpe orders Danny to denounce his love for Laura

    Volpe orders Danny to denounce his love for Laura

  • Danny tells Laura that he never really loved her

    Danny tells Laura that he never really loved her

  • And tries to break her heart

    And tries to break her heart

  • Garrett's gunshot breaks Danny and Laura free of Volpe's hypnosis

    Garrett's gunshot breaks Danny and Laura free of Volpe's hypnosis

  • Volpe is triumphant

    Volpe is triumphant

  • Until Laura stabs him in the neck

    Until Laura stabs him in the neck

  • And Danny beats him with a pipe

    And Danny beats him with a pipe

  • Laura puts two screwdrivers into those hypnotic eyes

    Laura puts two screwdrivers into those hypnotic eyes

  • Detective Garrett shoots Danny

    Detective Garrett shoots Danny

  • Danny and Laura are found by police

    Danny and Laura are found by police

  • They end up together in a tank at the hospital

    They end up together in a tank at the hospital

  • And together in a bright new dreamworld inside Laura's mind

    And together in a bright new dreamworld inside Laura's mind

Retrieved from "https://mentalblock.miraheze.org/wiki/Parasomnia?oldid=50559"