Nyctophobia

Nyctophobia, the experimental film from the highly creative mind of filmmaker Seayoon Jeong, is a journey through the psyche of a woman named Liz (Olivia Clari Nice), a seemingly long-time sufferer of this particular condition. Defined as an “extreme or irrational fear of the night or darkness”, nyctophobia manifests itself through several key symptoms: anxiety, fear, sleep paralysis, panic attacks, etc.

Liz is a particularly unfortunate victim of this phobia; she sleeps with lights on, mirrors are covered, and all doors are locked but constantly checked and checked again. Finally settling into bed, it takes every trick in the book —counting things, white noise, and even metronomes —to take her off to dreamland. Initially, it's her happy place, but it’s not long until the fears begin to take real shape there as well.

What Jeong’s film showcases from there is a narrative of intertwining visual representations of each of those aforementioned symptoms, resulting in a kind of psychological thriller like no other as we traverse with Liz through a multitude of dreamscapes. It is a sensationally creative film, overflowing with mind-boggling ideas from musical numbers, to scary clowns, trippy visualisations and more, each a special knot in a string of diverse vignettes that leave you constantly on your toes wondering where the next five minutes will take you, Jeong serving us healthy doses of absurdity, humour and at times, genuine terror and dread along the way.

The monochromatic palette really complements the film as well, especially considering its subject matter, giving it that perfectly unsettling aesthetic it needs, with splashes of colour used effectively throughout to accentuate significance within each scene. The film's one recurring issue, however, lies in not knowing when enough is enough. Each new segment is a delight to unpack, each as unique, engaging and exciting as the last at first glance, but each also always seems to linger just that bit too long, the idea almost being run into the ground before finally moving forward, meaning the film often dips in pace and makes the film feel a tad overlong.

But the film's two core strengths, as well as that slick presentation, are enough to trump most of that; Jeong’s endless creative brilliance, and the commanding performance from Olivia Clari Nice. The former’s intoxicating filmmaking style allows for a film that captivates at each turn, and while it’s arthouse vibe for sure won’t be to everyone’s taste, there is no denying a level of ingenuity and invention on display here. Yet while ideas are great, bringing them to life is another thing entirely. Thankfully, Jeong has Olivia Clari Nice on hand to be able to handle absolutely anything that is thrown at her, whether it’s delivering a serenade as a 1920s flapper girl, disco dancing or acting like a macabre marionette, Nice never flinches once.

An artistic offering that might not be for everyone, but there isn’t much out there like Nyctophobia, the film a credit to Jeong’s unique ability to evoke feeling and life into an idea in such an original way.