Mara

Mara is a 2018 American supernatural horror film directed by Clive Tonge in his feature-length debut and written by Jonathan Frank. The film stars Olga Kurylenko as criminal psychologist Kate Fuller, who investigates the murder of a man and is haunted by the eponymous demon (Javier Botet) who kills people in their sleep. The film also stars Craig Conway. Tonge and Frank based the film's story on conditions and mythology surrounding both sleep paralysis and Brugada syndrome. The film was released by Saban Films on September 7, 2018. It received negative reviews from critics and was a box office bomb. Plot The film opens when Sophie Wynsfield is awakened by her mother Helena, screaming, supposedly after murdering her husband. Kate Fuller (Olga Kurylenko), a criminal psychologist, is called by Detective McCarthy to diagnose Helena and deduce whether to commit her to a mental institute. Upon interviewing both Helena and Sophie, both insist that Mr. Wynsfield was killed by the sleep demon, Mara. Kate signs to have Helena committed. Kate experiences sleep paralysis and sees a figure walking in her apartment. The next day, she goes to speak to a man named Takahashi. However, she instead finds his decayed corpse, killed in the same manner as Mr. Wynsfield. McCarthy disbelieves the Mara legend. Kate visits Helena in the mental institution, who explains how she and her husband knew a man named Dougie from a Sleep Paralysis support group, and begs Kate to let her see her daughter again, insisting she will die at the hands of Mara; as proof, she shows Kate a red mark in her left eye, explaining that Mara marks her victims. Kate decides to attend the Sleep Paralysis support group run by Dr. Ellis, where she encounters Dougie, who insists that Mara is real and will kill Saul. He removes Saul's sunglasses, revealing his eyes to be completely red. Later that night, Saul commits suicide by immolating himself; around the same time, Kate awakens in sleep paralysis and again sees a figure. McCarthy brings in Dougie, believing he is Saul's killer. With no evidence, they release him.