Deadly Dreams is a 1988 Direct to Video horror/thriller film directed by Kristine Peterson and starring Mitchell Anderson, Juliette Cummins, Xander Berkeley, Duane Whittaker, and Thom Babbes, who wrote the film.
When he was ten years old, Alex Torme witnessed the murder of his parents by Perkins, a business rival. Alex successfully flees the house, and Perkins turns his gun on himself.
Ten years later, Alex is in college, scarred from the ordeal and in line to inherit control of his family’s company from his brother, Jack. Alex still suffers from nightmares about Perkins, and soon the line between dreams and reality become blurred as Alex starts seeing Perkins in his waking life…
Deadly Dreams contains the following tropes:
- The Bad Guy Wins: Jack and Maggie successfully have Alex killed. Unfortunately for Jack, it’s only a temporary victory…
- Cain and Abel: Jack and Alex.
- Connected All Along: Maggie is Mr. Perkins’ daughter.
- Downer Ending: Alex is killed by the hunter, and later Maggie turns on Jack and has him killed as well, as revenge for his father driving her father to suicide.
- Gaslighting: What Jack and Maggie are trying to do to Alex in order to drive him to suicide and get Jack control of their family’s company.
- Wham Line: As the hunter goes up the stairs to kill Jack at the end, Maggie picks up the phone and dials. A lady answers with “Perkins residence.”
