Review of Nightmare Man (2006) by Bill R — 01 Feb 2012

"Nightmare Man" is more dreck that somehow made it to local cineplexes under the "Horror Fest" banner, and while I can't recommend it, it is a little better than most of the other features I've seen.

The plot is completely formulaic, and there's not one original idea to be found in this dull, recycled mess, It's so disjointed that it doesn't even answer the basic question we're left with after the final plot twist is revealed. We never do find out why this guy would go to all of this hassle to kill his wife.

Still, there are some decent special effects, but nothing here would raise this up to theatrical status. There are no scares, and director Rolfe Kanefsky does nothing to elevate the proceedings either. This is a bland-looking, by-the-numbers no-brainer. The only reason that this is a little more bearable is because the two female leads are hot. Tiffany Shepis is particularly attractive and she has some charisma as well. In a better movie, she might start to make a name for herself.

There is a lot of sexual tension between her and co-star Hanna Putnam, and the one thing that could have made this something special is the hotly anticipated tryst between these two. Unfortunately, that never happens hence the "thumbs down" rating is securely in place. For that reason and that reason alone, "Nightmare Man" almost made an impression on me. It may not seem like much, but it is when you see how dreary the rest of this mess is.