Lucid

Director - P.J. Woodside (The Creepy Doll)
Starring - Brittney Saylor, Bill Johnson (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Supernatural Activity), and P.J. Woodside (Goatsucker, Spirit Stalkers)
Release Date - 2013
Genre - Horror/Thriller/Suspense
Tagline - "Wake up"
Format - DVD (Screener) (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was in high school I watch the sequels to the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the loose remake for the first time.  I had watched the original numerous times and liked it, not loved it, but for some reason I never pursued the sequels.  After watching them I fell in love with TCM II.  I loved everything about the film.  Bill Moseley's performance as Choptop was amazing and Leatherface was seen in a whole new light.  This Leatherface was more carnal while retaining his sheer terror.  The man behind the leather mask was Bill Johnson and his portrayal of Leatherface was my favorite by far.  That being said, I often keep an eye out for his films out of respect for the man.  I was surprised one day when the Horror Society page received a message from someone promoting this film.  The name Bill Johnson caught my eye.  I messaged them back and requested a screener.  They were nice enough to send me one and for that I thank you guys and gals very much.  The screener came with some directions.  They wanted the link to their site So, BOOM here it is!
     The film follows a beautiful young girl who is in a loving relationship with her boyfriend.  Everything is picture perfect...while she is awake.  The second she falls asleep she has horrible nightmares about killing her boyfriend. She begins to worry that her horrible nightmares may spill over in to the real world and seeks help from a psychiatrist and a dream specialist.  She frantically rushes to get to the bottom of her ghastly dreams.  Was it a frightful accident?  Was it physical and sexual abusive from her parents?  Was it the guilt of cheating on her beloved boyfriend?  You will have to watch the film to find out!
     Psychological thrillers are a style of film that I typically do not like so keep that into consideration while reading this review.  The stories for psychological thrillers tend to be too ambitious and fail miserably when filmed.  Most are predictable and can't hold your attention after the halfway mark. For me this film is no exception.  The acting is actually great.  The cast was great all across the board and it would be a crime against humanity if they do not go on to star in other films.  Usually films like this make it hard for you to follow because the acting is amateurish, however, this film does not fall prey to that.  The story starts out fun and was really enjoyable.  Sadly, the second half of the film is just way too chaotic to really enjoy.  The film could have been an amazing psychological slasher but instead went wrong.  I think the film wanted to go out being a mindfuck and instead ended up being a clusterfuck.  I'm too damn stupid to really enjoy films that have been over thought and too complicated.  I want to sit down and watch a movie as a way to escape instead of being immersed in a film that feels like it is trying too hard to mess with your mind.  Finally, we don't get any real special effects or on screen kills.  The film tries to use moody atmosphere and story to get a rise out of the viewer instead of blood and guts.  Overall, this a film that showed promise but ended up falling short.  If you like psychological thriller then give this one a shot but keep an open mind.