We are back with another great review, this time it’s a science fiction thriller from Canada titled Midnight Dreamers. The film recently made its premiere at the 2026 edition of IFFSA Toronto. The film is independent and was funded by several grants such as Canada Arts Council. Another first we got to watch in Midnight Dreamers is that the main characters are South Asians. It is very rare that you see South Asians at the front of a horror film but Midnight Dreamers showed us it’s possible and with the right script they can shine. Directed by Khizer Khani and written by Khani, Andrew Ravindran and Tommy James Murphy (both of them are the main characters in the film) the film takes us through a dystopian future where people are numbers and corporations uses them as labor. While there are many issues the film tackles that could relate to the modern world, the director made sure that we watch this film as a guide or a tool.
The visuals is very impressive especially seeing there was no visual effects nor cgi. It was all about locations and production design to make the film so clean and crisp. There were some breathtaking shots in the wooden area where most of the film takes place. The performances of Ravindran and Murphy are excellent as they give us a great dialogue as they chase each other. Murphy as the silent Collector whose job is find and destroy those who try to run. Ravindran is Zakariya, a labourer who goes on the run with his brother who carries immunity to a flesh eating virus. The acting is the best part of the film because there is no special effects or AI involvement just people and locations. Sometimes simple ingredients works and in this case they worked very well. Zakariya is the focus here but The Collector is really good in this film. Murphy’s quiet but deadly approach to tracking runaway labourers is so intense that you wonder if he have a soul. That type of acting is hard to teach because as you watch you get a sense of fear seeing him on screen. The intimidating factor was strong and the presence was felt. Probably stole the film with his scenes from stalking to killing to hunting.
The themes that the film discuss hits today’s news: family, sacrifice especially generational ones along with population control. The population control issue stems from the corporation using labourers and collectors to do their work however threats them as disposable products. Sacrifice is where Zakariya and his brother decides to go on the run after seeing their mother going through the virus. These are at the center of the film even though it is a thriller. It still have drama effects to it. A rounded out cast that complimented the stars such as Yatharth Bhatt who plays the brother Umer and Nobahar Dadui who plays Mehar, a family friend who helps them escape. The script shows a slow burn toward the end of the film but it is worth it as different dynamics hit the screen in portions until they finally meet toward the end and the film hits its peak and climax.
Overall a great job to showcase that there are great films coming out of Canada and South Asians can carry a sci-fi or horror film. The plot is great maybe a little political but still hit when it does. The acting was great and the direction was excellent. Hopefully we can see this in the States this year or next in theaters because it is worth the admission.
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