Movies: Sleepwalker (2026) by Brandon Auman: A grieving artist. A coma‑bound husband. A nightmare that walks in her home
- dailyentertainment95
- 1 day ago
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Summary of the Movie: It’s about grief, trauma, and the collapse of reality
Sleepwalker uses the psychological thriller format to turn a mother’s grief and trauma into a visceral, disorienting experience: what looks like a supernatural haunting is actually the unraveling of a mind pushed to the edge by loss, abuse, and sleepwalking. The film is less about a ghost story than about how trauma can dissolve the line between dream and waking life.
Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/sleepwalker-2026-1 (US),
Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35672651/
Link Review: https://screenrant.com/sleepwalker-review/
Movie plot: Sarah Pangborn, a successful artist, is shattered by the death of her young daughter in a car accident that left her abusive husband, Michael, in a coma; as she battles overwhelming grief and PTSD, her sleepwalking episodes intensify, and she begins to see Michael inside their home, forcing her to question whether he is really there or if her mind is breaking under the weight of trauma and guilt.
Movie trend: A mid‑budget, character‑driven psychological thriller / horror film, positioned as a “grief‑driven nightmare” for genre audiences rather than a broad, jump‑scare‑heavy horror.
Social trend: Reflects current anxieties about trauma, domestic abuse, and the fragility of mental health, while also tapping into the cultural appetite for stories where the real horror is internal — grief, guilt, and the collapse of reality.
Director’s authorship: Brandon Auman’s authorial logic is one of creeping dread and psychological disorientation: using tight framing, a muted, cold color palette, and a focus on Sarah’s subjective experience to make the audience feel her isolation and confusion.
(Top) casting: Hayden Panettiere as Sarah functions as the film’s emotional core, embodying a mother’s raw grief, guilt, and unraveling sanity; Justin Chatwin as Michael serves as the ambiguous, menacing presence whose reality is constantly in question.
Awards and recognition: Premiered as a limited theatrical / VOD release on January 9, 2026, with no major festival or awards presence, signaling its role as a genre‑market thriller rather than an awards contender.
Release and availability: Released day‑and‑date in select US theaters and on VOD / digital platforms (Fandango, Apple TV, Prime Video) on January 9, 2026, distributed by Brainstorm Media and produced by Verdi Productions and Appian Way (Leonardo DiCaprio’s company), positioning it as a modest, accessible genre title for thriller and horror fans.
Insights: Sleepwalker works as a character‑driven psychological thriller that uses its sleepwalking premise to explore grief, trauma, and the collapse of reality, not just as a simple ghost story.
Industry Insight | Consumer Insight | Brand Insight |
A mid‑budget, grief‑driven psychological thriller can gain traction by leaning into strong performances, a clear genre hook, and a day‑and‑date VOD release, rather than relying on wide theatrical. | For viewers drawn to psychological horror and trauma‑driven thrillers, it offers a visceral, emotionally raw experience that feels both grounded and unsettling. | It positions Brandon Auman as a distinctive voice in the indie thriller space and Hayden Panettiere as a compelling lead in the psychological horror genre. |
Sleepwalker’s endurance lies in its emotional rawness and its refusal to offer easy answers. Its consequence is to reframe the haunted‑house thriller as a psychological spiral of grief and trauma, not just a simple game of cat and mouse.
Why It Is Trending: It’s a grief‑driven, trauma‑centered psychological thriller
Sleepwalker is trending because it taps into the current appetite for grief‑driven, trauma‑centered psychological thrillers that feel emotionally raw, disorienting, and grounded in real psychological pain, while also fitting perfectly into the VOD and genre‑film ecosystem.
Concept → consequence: A grieving mother haunted by visions of her abusive husband, whose sleepwalking blurs reality and nightmare promises a fresh take on the psychological thriller, but its consequence is that it divides viewers — some praise its emotional rawness and Panettiere’s performance, while others critique its reliance on familiar genre tropes and jump scares.
Culture → visibility: In a moment of heightened attention to trauma, domestic abuse, and mental health, its theme of a woman pushed to the edge by grief and abuse gives it strong cultural relevance and visibility among thriller and horror audiences.
Distribution → discovery: A day‑and‑date theatrical / VOD release on January 9, 2026, maximizes discovery among genre fans and allows it to reach a global niche audience without the pressure of a wide opening.
Timing → perception: Released in early 2026, it arrives when audiences are looking for intense, visceral genre films, so its grief‑driven, trauma‑centered approach is framed as a strength rather than a flaw.
Insights: Sleepwalker is trending not because it is a mainstream hit, but because it is a grief‑driven, trauma‑centered psychological thriller that resonates in the current VOD and genre‑film landscape.
Industry Insight | Consumer Insight | Brand Insight |
A mid‑budget, grief‑driven psychological thriller can gain traction by leaning into strong performances, a clear genre hook, and a day‑and‑date VOD release, rather than relying on wide theatrical. | For viewers drawn to psychological horror and trauma‑driven thrillers, it offers a visceral, emotionally raw experience that feels both grounded and unsettling. | It positions Brandon Auman as a distinctive voice in the indie thriller space and Hayden Panettiere as a compelling lead in the psychological horror genre. |
Sleepwalker’s endurance lies in its emotional rawness and its refusal to offer easy answers. Its consequence is to reframe the haunted‑house thriller as a psychological spiral of grief and trauma, not just a simple game of cat and mouse.
Why to Watch: It’s a character‑driven psychological thriller
Sleepwalker is worth watching not for plot twists or spectacle, but for its strong central performance, its emotionally raw take on grief and trauma, and its disorienting, dreamlike atmosphere.
Meta value, cultural value, analytical value: As a case study in how to adapt the psychological thriller into a grief‑driven, trauma‑centered story, it’s a valuable reference for creators and critics interested in the current state of indie psychological horror and thriller cinema.
Experience vs observation: It’s designed to be felt as a visceral, emotionally raw experience — of grief, guilt, and the collapse of reality — rather than just observed as a story with a clear arc.
Atmosphere vs transformation: The film’s strength is its disorienting, dreamlike atmosphere; Sarah’s journey is more about spiraling into a final confrontation with her trauma than a clear transformation.
Reference value: For fans of psychological horror and trauma‑driven thrillers, it’s a useful reference point for how to balance genre expectations with character and emotional depth in a mid‑budget context.
Insights: Sleepwalker is worth watching as a character‑driven psychological thriller that uses its sleepwalking premise to explore grief, trauma, and the collapse of reality.
Industry Insight | Consumer Insight | Brand Insight |
A mid‑budget, grief‑driven psychological thriller can gain traction by leaning into strong performances, a clear genre hook, and a day‑and‑date VOD release, rather than relying on wide theatrical. | For viewers drawn to psychological horror and trauma‑driven thrillers, it offers a visceral, emotionally raw experience that feels both grounded and unsettling. | It positions Brandon Auman as a distinctive voice in the indie thriller space and Hayden Panettiere as a compelling lead in the psychological horror genre. |
Sleepwalker’s value is in its emotional rawness and its refusal to soften its vision of grief and trauma. Its consequence is to remind viewers that some of the most powerful films are those that sit with discomfort and ambiguity rather than resolve them.
What Trend Is Followed: It’s part of the grief‑driven psychological thriller wave
Sleepwalker follows the current trend of grief‑driven, trauma‑centered psychological thrillers that use tight runtimes, a focus on character, and a disorienting, dreamlike aesthetic to deliver a visceral, emotionally raw experience rather than relying on spectacle.
Format lifecycle: It sits in the mature phase of the grief‑driven psychological thriller format, where the model is well‑established (e.g., “The Babadook,” “Hereditary,” “The Night House”) and audiences expect tight pacing, escalating dread, and a focus on personal trauma rather than broad action.
Aesthetic logic: Relies on a cold, muted color palette, tight framing, and a dreamlike, disorienting aesthetic to create a sense of isolation, confusion, and creeping dread.
Psychological effect: Designed to make the viewer feel the weight of Sarah’s grief and trauma, while also being kept on edge by the constant question of what is real and what is a nightmare.
Genre inheritance: Draws from psychological horror, thriller, and trauma‑driven drama, but filters them through a contemporary, indie lens focused on personal trauma, grief, and the psychological unraveling of the protagonist.
Insights: Sleepwalker is not inventing a new trend, but executing a well‑established grief‑driven psychological thriller format with a strong concept and a distinctive, emotionally raw core.
Industry Insight | Consumer Insight | Brand Insight |
A mid‑budget, grief‑driven psychological thriller can gain traction by leaning into strong performances, a clear genre hook, and a day‑and‑date VOD release, rather than relying on wide theatrical. | For viewers drawn to psychological horror and trauma‑driven thrillers, it offers a visceral, emotionally raw experience that feels both grounded and unsettling. | It positions Brandon Auman as a distinctive voice in the indie thriller space and Hayden Panettiere as a compelling lead in the psychological horror genre. |
Sleepwalker’s relevance comes from its timing and execution, not from radical innovation. Its consequence is to reinforce the viability of the grief‑driven psychological thriller in the current VOD and genre‑film market.
Director’s Vision: It’s about creeping dread and psychological disorientation
Brandon Auman’s vision is one of creeping dread and psychological disorientation: using tight framing, a cold, muted color palette, and a focus on Sarah’s subjective experience to keep the audience off‑balance and invested in the mystery of what is real and what is a nightmare.
Authorial logic: The film is built on the idea that real horror comes from trauma, grief, and the collapse of reality, and that a tightly paced, character‑driven thriller can be more effective than a sprawling, spectacle‑driven one.
Restraint vs escalation: Auman favors restraint in pacing and escalation in emotional intensity, letting tension build through silence, gesture, and environment rather than melodrama.
Ethical distance: The film maintains a certain observational distance from Sarah, forcing the viewer to interpret her state rather than being told how to feel, while still making her grief and trauma viscerally real.
Consistency vs rupture: The narrative is consistent in its tone and aesthetic, even as it embraces rupture in Sarah’s relationships and the final, ambiguous confrontation.
Insights: Brandon Auman’s vision is one of disciplined, tension‑driven filmmaking, where creeping dread and psychological disorientation serve a psychological and emotional purpose rather than just spectacle.
Industry Insight | Consumer Insight | Brand Insight |
A mid‑budget, grief‑driven psychological thriller can gain traction by leaning into strong performances, a clear genre hook, and a day‑and‑date VOD release, rather than relying on wide theatrical. | For viewers drawn to psychological horror and trauma‑driven thrillers, it offers a visceral, emotionally raw experience that feels both grounded and unsettling. | It positions Brandon Auman as a distinctive voice in the indie thriller space and Hayden Panettiere as a compelling lead in the psychological horror genre. |
Brandon Auman’s vision is not about chaos, but about using creeping dread and psychological disorientation to create a specific psychological effect. Its consequence is to position him as a distinctive voice in contemporary indie psychological thriller and horror cinema.
Key Success Factors: What sets it apart from other trauma thrillers
Sleepwalker stands out not just because it’s a grief‑driven psychological thriller, but because it combines a very specific, grounded trauma premise with a strong lead performance and a release strategy that targets the exact audience it needs.
Concept that cuts deeper: Unlike generic “haunted house” or “abusive spouse returns” thrillers, Sleepwalker is built on a very precise emotional core — a mother’s guilt and PTSD after losing her child in an accident that also left her abusive husband in a coma — which makes the psychological unraveling feel more personal and less like a genre checklist.
Performance as the anchor: Hayden Panettiere’s casting is a key differentiator; her history with intense, emotionally raw roles (from TV to indie thrillers) gives the film instant credibility and emotional weight, turning Sarah from a generic “traumatized wife” into a fully lived‑in, complex character whose sleepwalking feels like a real symptom, not just a plot device.
Trauma over jump scares: The film leans into slow, creeping dread and psychological disorientation rather than relying on constant jump scares, which sets it apart from more formulaic VOD horror and positions it as a “thinking person’s” trauma thriller for viewers who want mood and ambiguity over cheap shocks.
Clear genre positioning: It doesn’t pretend to be a big‑budget horror or a prestige drama; instead, it owns its identity as a mid‑budget, grief‑centered psychological thriller, which helps it connect with its niche audience (fans of trauma‑driven indie horror) without overpromising or underdelivering.
Smart, targeted release: A day‑and‑date theatrical / VOD release on January 9, 2026, backed by Brainstorm Media and produced with Appian Way’s involvement, ensures it reaches genre fans directly through digital platforms while still getting a theatrical “event” feel, maximizing visibility without the risk of a wide, underperforming opening.
Insights: Sleepwalker’s real advantage is that it’s not just another trauma thriller — it’s one with a sharper emotional focus, a stronger lead performance, and a release strategy that speaks directly to its core audience.
Industry Insight | Consumer Insight | Brand Insight |
A mid‑budget psychological thriller can stand out by focusing on a very specific trauma premise and pairing it with a strong, recognizable lead, rather than trying to compete with big‑budget horror. | For viewers, the appeal is in a film that feels emotionally grounded and psychologically plausible, not just a series of scares. | It positions Brandon Auman as a director who can handle intimate, trauma‑driven material and Hayden Panettiere as a go‑to lead for serious psychological thrillers. |
Sleepwalker’s success comes from its precision: a tightly focused trauma story, a committed performance, and a release that matches its scale and audience. Its consequence is to show that in the crowded VOD thriller market, specificity and authenticity can be more powerful than spectacle.
Awards and Recognition: It’s a genre‑market thriller, not a mainstream awards contender
Sleepwalker has limited awards presence, positioning it as a respected genre‑market thriller rather than a major awards contender.
Festival presence: No major festival premiere or competition presence, signaling its role as a commercial genre title rather than an arthouse or awards‑driven film.
Wins: No reported wins at major genre or indie festivals, indicating it is not positioned as a festival darling.
Nominations: Limited to minor genre or critics’ circles, but not in major mainstream international awards.
Critical infrastructure: Supported by genre and psychological thriller critics, VOD platforms, and the indie thriller ecosystem, rather than the mainstream global awards ecosystem.
Insights: Sleepwalker is recognized as a solid genre‑market thriller at the VOD and indie level, but it has not yet broken into the broader mainstream awards conversation.
Industry Insight | Consumer Insight | Brand Insight |
A mid‑budget, grief‑driven psychological thriller can gain significant traction by using strong performances and a clear genre hook to reach a global niche audience via VOD and digital platforms. | For viewers, the mixed reception signals a film that is distinctive but challenging, worth watching for its highs rather than its polish. | It positions Brandon Auman and Hayden Panettiere as creators whose work is ambitious and noticeable within the indie psychological thriller and horror scene. |
Sleepwalker’s institutional status is that of a genre‑market thriller, not a mainstream awards player. Its consequence is to build a solid foundation for future projects rather than immediate industry dominance.
Critics Reception: It’s polarizing, not universally acclaimed
Critics are divided on Sleepwalker: some praise its emotional rawness, strong lead performance, and disorienting atmosphere, while others critique its reliance on familiar genre tropes and jump scares.
Online publications and magazines: Reviews in outlets like Rotten Tomatoes, Collider, and genre blogs highlight Hayden Panettiere’s committed performance and the film’s disorienting, dreamlike quality, but some note that the plot feels predictable and the horror leans too heavily on jump scares.
Aggregators: On platforms like Rotten Tomatoes and Letterboxd, it has a mixed but generally positive score, reflecting a split between those who value its emotional rawness and atmosphere and those who find its narrative and horror mechanics formulaic.
Performance reception: Hayden Panettiere’s performance as Sarah is widely praised as raw and internalized, anchoring the film’s emotional journey.
Narrative critique: Common criticism is that the grief‑and‑trauma arc is familiar and that the film’s reliance on jump scares and dream logic sometimes overshadows its emotional depth.
Insights: Sleepwalker is a polarizing film whose strengths (emotional rawness, performance, atmosphere) are matched by weaknesses in narrative freshness and pacing.
Industry Insight | Consumer Insight | Brand Insight |
A polarized reception can still be valuable if it generates strong reactions and keeps the film in conversation within the indie and genre film world. | For viewers, the mixed reception signals a film that is distinctive but challenging, worth watching for its highs rather than its polish. | It positions Brandon Auman and Hayden Panettiere as creators whose work is ambitious and noticeable within the indie psychological thriller and horror scene. |
Sleepwalker’s critical reception is that of a flawed but memorable indie thriller. Its consequence is to establish Brandon Auman and Hayden Panettiere as names to watch in the indie psychological thriller and horror space.
Release Strategy: It’s a day‑and‑date, VOD‑friendly thriller
Sleepwalker was positioned as a day‑and‑date, VOD‑friendly thriller, with a strategy focused on broad digital reach and genre‑market visibility rather than wide commercial release.
Theatrical release date: Limited theatrical release in the US on January 9, 2026, after its acquisition by Brainstorm Media.
Streaming release window: Simultaneous release on VOD and digital platforms (Fandango, Apple TV, Prime Video) on January 9, 2026, rather than through a single exclusive SVOD platform.
Platform positioning: Marketed as a grief‑driven, trauma‑centered psychological thriller for genre fans and VOD audiences, not as a broad commercial title.
Expectation signaling: The strategy signals that this is a mid‑budget, concept‑driven psychological thriller, not a wide commercial release, managing expectations around scale and audience.
Insights: Sleepwalker’s release strategy is classic for a mid‑budget indie thriller: day‑and‑date theatrical / VOD, maximizing critical and niche visibility without overextending its reach.
Industry Insight | Consumer Insight | Brand Insight |
A targeted, day‑and‑date release allows a mid‑budget indie thriller to build buzz and reach its core audience without the pressure of a wide opening. | For viewers, the strategy makes the film easy to discover in the indie and genre ecosystem, especially for those who seek intense, character‑driven psychological thrillers. | It positions Brandon Auman and Hayden Panettiere as creators whose work fits the indie psychological thriller and horror model rather than the mainstream blockbuster. |
Sleepwalker’s release strategy is pragmatic and genre‑savvy. Its consequence is to build a sustainable profile within the indie and genre world rather than a fleeting mainstream splash.
Trends Summary: It’s a symptom of the current grief‑driven psychological thriller cycle
Sleepwalker is a clear example of how current psychological thrillers are increasingly focused on grief‑driven, trauma‑centered, character‑driven stories that prioritize dread, ambiguity, and a tight runtime over broad spectacle.
Conceptual, systemic trends: Indie psychological thrillers are increasingly built around high‑concept, emotionally grounded premises that prioritize mood, tension, and a tight runtime over conventional plotting.
Cultural trends: These films reflect widespread anxieties about trauma, domestic abuse, and the fragility of mental health, while also tapping into the cultural appetite for stories where the real horror is internal — grief, guilt, and the collapse of reality.
Industry trends: The model is day‑and‑date theatrical / VOD release, allowing mid‑budget, tightly paced thrillers to build profiles and reach niche audiences without massive theatrical budgets.
Audience behavior: Viewers are increasingly drawn to films that feel authentic, emotionally raw, and conversation‑worthy, even if they are familiar or formulaic, and are comfortable with VOD and digital as the primary way to experience indie thrillers.
Insights: Sleepwalker is not an outlier, but a representative case of the current grief‑driven psychological thriller cycle: concept‑driven, mood‑first, and built for the VOD and genre ecosystem.
Industry Insight | Consumer Insight | Brand Insight |
The current grief‑driven psychological thriller model rewards strong concepts, distinctive style, and smart VOD strategy over sheer scale. | For viewers, it offers a recognizable but still engaging variation on a trend they already enjoy: grief‑driven, character‑driven, emotionally raw indie thrillers. | It positions Brandon Auman and Hayden Panettiere as creators who understand and can execute within this dominant indie thriller framework. |
Sleepwalker’s real significance is as a symptom of a larger trend. Its consequence is to show how a mid‑budget indie thriller can participate in and reflect the current state of emotionally grounded, character‑driven genre cinema.
Trends 2026: It points to more grief‑driven, trauma‑centered psychological thrillers
Looking ahead, Sleepwalker suggests that 2026 will continue to favor grief‑driven, trauma‑centered psychological thrillers that prioritize psychological texture and a strong, timely concept over conventional plotting.
Cultural shift: Audiences will increasingly seek stories that mirror the quiet crisis of modern life: trauma, domestic abuse, and the fragility of mental health.
Audience psychology: Viewers will gravitate toward films that feel authentic, emotionally raw, and immersive, where the experience matters more than a tidy resolution.
Format evolution: The grief‑driven psychological thriller format will keep evolving, with more character‑driven films that use tight runtimes and distinctive aesthetics (e.g., cold, muted color palette, dreamlike framing) to focus on internal collapse and fragile connection.
Meaning vs sensation: There will be a growing appetite for films where sensation serves meaning and emotional truth, not just spectacle.
Explicit film industry implication: VOD platforms and indie distributors will continue to back mid‑budget, concept‑driven thrillers that can generate critical buzz and conversation without massive budgets.
Insights: Sleepwalker points to a 2026 where the most interesting indie thrillers are not the safest, but the ones that commit fully to a strong concept, a distinct mood, and an emotionally grounded core.
Industry Insight | Consumer Insight | Brand Insight |
The winning indie thriller model in 2026 will be the tightly executed, concept‑driven film that uses VOD platforms to build a profile, not the over‑ambitious, under‑focused project. | For viewers, the appeal will be in films that feel like experiences — emotionally raw, immersive, and emotionally resonant — rather than just puzzles to solve. | For creators and brands, the signal is to double down on a clear concept, a strong lead performance, and a distinctive, grounded style, then release it smartly. |
The future of the indie thriller is not about bigger budgets, but about sharper concepts and deeper psychological and emotional hooks. Its consequence is to reward filmmakers who understand that dread and emotional truth can be more powerful than spectacle.
Final Verdict: It’s a flawed but memorable thriller mood piece
Sleepwalker is not a perfect film, but it is a memorable one: a character‑driven psychological thriller that uses its sleepwalking premise to explore grief, trauma, and the collapse of reality.
Meaning: The film’s core meaning is that real horror comes from trauma, grief, and the collapse of reality, and that a tightly paced, character‑driven thriller can be more effective than a sprawling, spectacle‑driven one.
Relevance: It feels relevant because it taps into widespread fears about trauma, domestic abuse, and the fragility of mental health.
Endurance: Its endurance lies in its emotional rawness and its refusal to soften its vision of grief and trauma, making it a film that lingers as a mood and a question.
Legacy: Its legacy is as a strong example of the current grief‑driven psychological thriller cycle: concept‑driven, mood‑first, and built for the VOD and genre ecosystem.
Insights: Sleepwalker is a flawed but memorable thriller mood piece whose value lies in its atmosphere, its tension, and its emotional rawness, not in its plot mechanics.
Industry Insight | Consumer Insight | Brand Insight |
For the industry, it proves that a mid‑budget, concept‑driven indie thriller can build a profile and generate conversation through strong execution and smart positioning. | For viewers, it offers a distinctive, character‑centric thriller experience that rewards patience and rewards those who enjoy lean, emotionally grounded genre cinema. | For brands and creators, it shows that a clear concept, a strong performance, and a distinctive, grounded style can create a lasting impression, even without universal acclaim. |
Sleepwalker’s role is not to be a masterpiece, but to be a conversation piece. Its consequence is to remind the industry and audiences that some of the most interesting films are the ones that prioritize feeling and emotional truth over formula.
Social Trends 2026: It reflects a culture of trauma and the collapse of reality
Sleepwalker is not just a film; it’s a mirror of how people increasingly live with the quiet crisis of modern life: trauma, domestic abuse, and the fragility of mental health.
Behavioral: People are more likely to normalize trauma, domestic abuse, and the fragility of mental health, while retreating into safe, familiar patterns rather than taking emotional risks.
Cultural: The line between reality and nightmare is blurring, making stories about grief, trauma, and the collapse of reality feel urgent and relatable, especially in a culture that values authenticity and emotional truth.
Institutional: Institutions (work, social media, dating apps) are increasingly built around performance and curated identities, reinforcing the idea that real connection is rare and that finally confronting trauma is a radical act.
Emotional coping: Many people cope by numbing themselves through work, travel, or performance, much like Sarah, who only gradually recognizes that her “nightmare” is actually a spiral of grief and trauma.
Insights: Sleepwalker reflects a 2026 where the most resonant stories are those that dramatize the psychological cost of living with trauma and the fragile power of finally confronting it.
Industry Insight | Consumer Insight | Brand Insight |
For the industry, the signal is to create stories that feel like they are about the present moment, especially those that explore trauma, domestic abuse, and the fragility of mental health. | For viewers, the appeal will be in narratives that feel like they understand the emotional toll of living with trauma and the collapse of reality, not just its surface drama. | For brands, the lesson is that authenticity and emotional depth will matter more than polished, one‑size‑fits‑all messaging in a world of trauma and the collapse of reality. |
Final Social Insight: In 2026, the most powerful stories will be those that treat finally confronting trauma not as a simple triumph, but as a hard‑won, emotionally risky act in a world where trauma and the collapse of reality are the real adventure.