Dreams in Nightmares (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

After losing her job, Z travels across the Midwest with two close friends to find someone who has disappeared. Their road trip becomes increasingly complicated as threats in each city challenge their loyalties, priorities and shared beliefs.

Dreams in Nightmares is a 2026 drama written and directed by Shatara Michelle Ford. The film follows Z after an abrupt layoff sends her on the road in search of a friend who appears to have vanished from everyday life.

Traveling with Kel and Lauren, Z moves through the Midwestern United States while the trio confronts changing dangers and tensions within their own group. The story centers on friendship, identity and the pressures that can test a chosen family.

Dreams in Nightmares movie details

Story without spoilers

Z sets out to locate a friend who has seemingly disappeared off the grid. She is joined by her two closest friends, Kel and Lauren, and together they begin a trip across the Midwest.

Their search is complicated by shapeshifting threats encountered in different cities. Each new situation places pressure on the women’s priorities and exposes fractures that are both personal and ideological. The film presents their journey through the perspective of three queer Black femmes without revealing how their search unfolds.

What to expect

The supplied information identifies Dreams in Nightmares as a drama with a road-trip structure and LGBTQ-related subject matter. Its premise combines a search for a missing friend with escalating threats and conflict among the central trio.

Viewers can expect the film to focus on relationships under pressure, questions of belonging and the uncertainty surrounding a friend who has withdrawn from view. The changing Midwestern locations provide the framework for the story, while the group’s internal disagreements give the trip its emotional stakes.

Cast and creative team

Denée Benton leads the cast as Z, with Mars Storm Rucker as Kel and Dezi Bing as Lauren. The ensemble also includes Sasha Compère as Tasha, Charlie Barnett as Reece, Molly Bernard as Jamie, Alfie Fuller as Trish, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Sabrina, Regina Taylor as Bernice and Robert Wisdom as Virgil.

Shatara Michelle Ford wrote and directed the film. The production companies are Spark Features, Tango Entertainment, Paradise City, 120E Films, Sit Was Written, Birchall Entertainment, Chris Q Productions and Each Other Films.

• Denée Benton as Z
• Mars Storm Rucker as Kel
• Dezi Bing as Lauren
• Sasha Compère as Tasha
• Charlie Barnett as Reece
• Molly Bernard as Jamie
• Alfie Fuller as Trish
• Jasmin Savoy Brown as Sabrina
• Regina Taylor as Bernice
• Robert Wisdom as Virgil

Release and production context

Dreams in Nightmares is listed as a 2026 release with a runtime of 2 hours and 8 minutes. Its release date is August 21, 2026, and its status is listed as Released. The production is associated with the United States of America, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and France.

The supplied metadata does not specify spoken languages. The film is categorized as a drama, with road trip, female homosexuality and LGBT among its listed keywords.

Production companies: Spark Features, Tango Entertainment, Paradise City, 120E Films, Sit Was Written, Birchall Entertainment, Chris Q Productions, Each Other Films

Dreams in Nightmares official trailer

Watch the official trailer on YouTube

Movies Dock view

Dreams in Nightmares pairs a cross-country search with a close examination of friendship among three queer Black femmes. Its 128-minute running time gives the premise room to move through multiple cities while examining the pressures that can reshape a group’s sense of trust and purpose.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb