Horror-thriller DREAMCATCHER is a wild ride. Brought to you by writer/director Jacob Johnston, the film centers on two estranged sisters who, along with their friends, attend an underground music festival as a birthday celebration. Celebration quickly turns to devastation after a traumatic event takes place, thrusting the group into a 48 hour whirlwind of violence and madness, which will have you asking, “What is real?”

DREAMCATCHER is a fresh take on the whole slasher film genre, successfully dropping the normal tropes you may be used to seeing in movies like Scream or I Know What You Did Last Summer. Centering primarily around Dylan, aka DJ Dreamcatcher, you are introduced to how this group intertwines into his world. Tortured mentally and pushed to limits no one should have to endure, each comes to an end that sets up the next moment perfectly.

The style of DREAMCATCHER is slick and modern, with iconic beats that you will want to turn up to level 40. One thing I loved was how the score used at times also made you feel like you were in a video game like Resident Evil or Silent Hill, but on acid. What was going to pop out? Who was next? What monster lurked around the next corner?

The characters are hard to love for the most part but the director will use your own psyche and the performances to lure you into caring. Touching on subjects such as abandonment, self-loathing, and suicide, you see what has led these individuals to where they are. The killer uses this to their advantage, all while sporting DJ Dreamcatcher’s sporty and soon-to-be iconic costume, killer mask included.

My favorite though was just the extraordinary acting on behalf of Adrienne Wilkinson. Portraying Josephine, Dylan’s manager, Adrienne is amazing. She is cold-hearted, vindictive, and a true bitch in every sense of the word. But damn, she is good at it. We also get a brief but memorable appearance from Lou Ferrigno Jr. who, as Colton, is in cahoots with Josephine but is rethinking his part in the life.

DREAMCATCHER is not without its faults. A few scenes tend to slow the pace and there are obvious plot holes. However, I would recommend picking this film up. What it does lack, it makes up for with sheer energy and imagination. Grab some friends and watch somewhere with a killer surround system. Each scene will have you asking yourself, “Who the hell is killing these people?” I know I was.

DREAMCATCHER will be available in theaters, on Digital, and On-Demand on March 5, 2021.