Nightmare's Advice (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Nightmare's Advice follows Lucie, an insomniac PhD student facing visa troubles, a damaging affair and pressure from a jealous ex. Her search for help leads her to a secluded shaman and Béatrice, whose determined friendship may offer a different way forward in this Canadian drama and mystery.

Nightmare's Advice is a French-language Canadian drama and mystery centered on Lucie, a PhD student whose personal and professional life has become increasingly difficult to manage. Without a work visa and suffering from insomnia, she is caught between a destructive relationship and the persistent attention of a jealous former partner.

Her attempt to find help takes her to a reclusive shaman on the edge of the city, where she meets Béatrice. The encounter introduces an unexpected source of support into Lucie’s unstable circumstances, while the film’s mystery elements add another layer to her search for direction.

Nightmare's Advice movie details

Story without spoilers

Lucie is pursuing a PhD while dealing with the practical strain of not having a work visa and the physical toll of insomnia. At the same time, she is involved in a harmful affair with her thesis advisor and is being pursued by a jealous ex.

Looking for assistance, Lucie visits a reclusive shaman living on the city’s outskirts. There she meets Béatrice, a young woman described as both carefree and determined to help. The story follows the complications surrounding Lucie’s relationships and the uncertain path opened by this meeting.

What to expect

The supplied genre information places Nightmare's Advice between drama and mystery. Viewers can expect a character-focused premise involving insomnia, immigration-related pressure, academic entanglements, strained relationships and an unusual encounter with a shaman. Béatrice’s role suggests that the story also includes an important friendship or alliance, though the available synopsis does not reveal how it develops.

Cast and creative team

Marie-Ève Loyez plays Lucie Rivière, with Geneviève Ackerman as Béatrice. The cast also includes Frédérik Dufour as Grégoire, Xavier Neszvecsko as Eugène, Anjela Rousiouk as Madame Rousiouk, Renaud Després-Larose as Igor, Charles-Antoine Turcot as Le chauffeur, Bruno Lalonde as L'éditeur and Hans Martin as L'étudiant.

Renaud Després-Larose and Ana Tapia Rousiouk direct the film. They also share writing credits with Geneviève Ackerman.

• Marie-Ève Loyez as Lucie Rivière
• Geneviève Ackerman as Béatrice
• Frédérik Dufour as Grégoire
• Xavier Neszvecsko as Eugène
• Anjela Rousiouk as Madame Rousiouk
• Renaud Després-Larose as Igor
• Charles-Antoine Turcot as Le chauffeur
• Bruno Lalonde as L'éditeur
• Hans Martin as L'étudiant

Release and production context

Nightmare's Advice is a Canadian production from Films Fragiles. It is in French and has a runtime of 2 hours and 28 minutes. The supplied release date is September 4, 2026, and the film is listed as released.

Production companies: Films Fragiles

Reported production figures:
Budget $75,000

Nightmare's Advice official trailer

Watch the official trailer on YouTube

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With its combination of personal crisis, academic pressure and a mysterious encounter outside the city, Nightmare's Advice presents a substantial French-language drama with an unusual premise. Its central focus is Lucie’s difficult situation and the possibility of change introduced by Béatrice, while the mystery classification leaves the broader direction deliberately open.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb