Genre: Horror | Psychological | Supernatural
Directed by: Jennifer Kent
Starring: Florence Pugh, Joe Keery, Sophie Thatcher, Lance Reddick
Studio: A24 | Blumhouse Productions
Runtime: 1h 48min
Unrest (2026) is a chilling, slow-burning horror film that explores the terrifying consequences of sleep deprivation, unresolved trauma, and the line between the living and the dead. Directed by Jennifer Kent (The Babadook), the film uses psychological dread rather than cheap jump scares—delivering a deeply atmospheric, emotionally charged nightmare that lingers long after the credits roll.
Dr. Marianne Hale (Florence Pugh) is a young sleep researcher leading a clinical trial on patients suffering from chronic insomnia and sleep paralysis. As she monitors their declining states, strange events begin to occur: shared visions, unexplainable injuries, and the presence of a shadowy figure that appears in their REM-deprived dreams.
As the study unravels and the participants begin dying under mysterious circumstances, Dr. Hale is forced to confront the terrifying truth: the entity they see in their sleep may be real—and it’s feeding on more than just exhaustion.
Florence Pugh delivers a stunning performance, once again proving her range in horror. She balances the character’s analytical intelligence with raw emotional fragility. Her descent into guilt, fear, and self-doubt is both heartbreaking and unnerving.
Joe Keery brings charm and panic as a participant who begins to lose his grip on reality. Sophie Thatcher is hauntingly good as a teenage subject haunted by sleep terrors. The late Lance Reddick, in one of his final roles, brings gravitas as the enigmatic hospital director with secrets of his own.
Jennifer Kent crafts Unrest with the same psychological tension that made The Babadook a modern classic. The film’s tone is suffocating—filled with dim lighting, clinical coldness, and disorienting camera work that mimics the hallucinations and blurred reality of sleepless minds.
The soundtrack, a mix of low-frequency drones and whispered audio distortions, intensifies the dread. It's not just about what's seen, but what's felt—a creeping sense of helplessness and inevitability.
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The horror of insomnia and isolation
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Unresolved trauma and guilt
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The boundary between science and superstition
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Collective consciousness and shared nightmares
The film subtly explores how modern medicine tries to suppress the supernatural—and how sometimes, the unseen must be confronted, not cured.
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Outstanding lead performance by Florence Pugh
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Terrifying concept grounded in real psychological conditions
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Strong, unsettling atmosphere and visual design
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Smart script that avoids clichés and rewards attention
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Blend of science and supernatural themes
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Slow pacing may not appeal to casual horror fans
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Some characters underdeveloped compared to the leads
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Ambiguous ending may frustrate viewers seeking closure
Unrest (2026) is a deeply psychological and beautifully terrifying experience—not a popcorn horror flick, but a meditative nightmare about what happens when the mind can no longer rest. With its intelligent themes, grounded performances, and unnerving style, it firmly places itself among the best horror films of the decade.
