Dead of Night (1945)

In the beguiling labyrinth of his own subconscious, architect Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns) finds himself drawn to the enigmatic Pilgrim's Farm, a place that lures him with a magnetic pull he cannot resist. Invited by an unknown prospective client, Craig is engulfed by an eerie sense of déjà vu, as if he's walked the dusty corridors of the farmhouse and rubbed shoulders with its peculiar inhabitants in a previous life. Yet, the people he meets claim they've never crossed paths with him, even as his memory insists otherwise. In the chilling silence of the farm, Craig unveils a secret, an uncanny recurring dream that unfolds in the very house they occupy. The dream, which always begins as a tranquil journey, morphs into a spine-tingling nightmare after a seemingly insignificant event — the shattering of a psychiatrist's glasses. The nightmare, a monstrous creation of his own mind, leaves him drenched in a cold sweat, its haunting images evaporating like morning mist as he awakens. As Craig shares this chilling revelation, a sense of intrigue wraps around the room like an unseen fog. One by one, the guests find themselves entranced, sharing their own inexplicable experiences. These strange and bizarre tales thread together, forming the rich tapestry of the movie. Each tale is a piece of a grand, horrifying puzzle, leading Craig and the audience deeper into the shadowy corners of the unknown. As the tale unfolds, Craig must confront his recurring nightmare, a specter of fear that lurks in the corners of his mind. He's caught in a web of anticipation and dread, fully aware of the terrifying climax that inevitably awaits him at the end of his dream. The question remains: Will he be able to break free from the chains of his subconscious, or will he remain forever trapped in the Dead of Night?

Dead of Night is a horror movie featuring Mervyn Johns and directed by Basil Dearden.

Dead of Night is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy and it's also available on Fandor, Fandor Amazon Channel and Screambox Amazon Channel.

It is also possible to buy Dead of Night on Kino Now.