Some people don’t dream. Other people do. Sometimes, dreamers wake up thinking, ‘Did that really happen?’ Usually, quite quickly, they deduce that no, that was just a dream. But imagine you couldn’t tell the difference, and that dreams and reality deceptively blended together. That would be pretty horrifying.

In Sleepwalker, directed by Brandon Auman (Star Wars Resistance, Teenage Mutant Ninja), Sarah (Hayden Panettiere, Nashville, Scream 4) is haunted by her abusive ex-husband (Justin Chatwin, Shameless) and daughter’s (Corinne Sweeney) death night and day. So Sarah takes her son (Laird LaCoste) to her mother’s (Beverly D’Angelo, National Lampoon’s Vacation) Rhode Island home, trying to escape the past. Night after night, Sarah sleepwalks, reliving the traumatic event that took her daughter’s life, and every moment it becomes harder for her to tell what’s real and what’s not.

An abusive ex, a traumatic car crash, a fragmented past, and hauntings from a lost loved one. The film has every cinematic horror trope out there— and in this case, they work. Possibly because Sleepwalker adds a twist by also playing with genre. Throwing lucid dreaming into the mix creates a thrilling element of uncertainty and leaves the audience questioning whether they’re witnessing reality or simply Sarah’s delusions. Add to that a satisfying curveball at the end that isn’t too easy to predict, and it all works.

It’s reminiscent of both ‘80s paranormal horror flicks and soap opera dramas of the same era. It might be purely accidental, but this film is pure schlock, and that’s absolutely not an insult here. The budget seems small. There are cheesy lines and funny archetypes (e.g., Sarah’s mom is a total hippy). The jump scares are more for entertainment value than for tingling of spines.

There are one or two moments that effectively make you flinch. Some of the paranormal ideas are freaky to think about, too, even though a lot of the fear-building actually resolves around very real concepts, and not the supernatural elements. Things like your kids getting hurt, having an abusive, unhinged ex, or being so unstable you can’t tell what’s real and what isn’t— those are the real terrifying ideas.

Two real drawbacks: the sets look a bit sterile and the camera work lacks any ingenuity. But luckily, these qualities don’t make or break the film.

Is it on the same playing field as The Shining? No, but it’s got heart to it. The most important quality in a movie— more than the thematics, script, look, or anything else— is whether or not it’s entertaining. Sleepwalker is definitely entertaining. It’s not going to chill your bones or keep you up at night, but if you’re looking for a light-hearted, spooky time, this film is it.

Sleepwalker is available on streaming beginning January 9.