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Horror Cult Classic

A preacher's adopted daughter dives into obsession—and something deadly rises from the depths.

DREAM NO EVIL

A Nightmare of Unexpected Terror!

1970 · 1h 24m · R · Horror · IMDB TMDB

A young orphan girl obsessed with finding her father gets adopted by a traveling church. She grows up and gets engaged, but her obsession with locating her father is about to turn deadly.

Quick Answer

What is Dream No Evil about?

Dream No Evil is a 1970 American horror film directed by John Hayes about an orphaned woman, adopted by a traveling church, whose quest to find her father leads to deadly consequences.

Programmer's Pick

Dream No Evil is what happens when religious spectacle, repressed desire, and a missing father all collide in the California backroads. If you like your horror on the hallucinatory side, with a side of familial dysfunction and barnyard theatrics, Grace’s journey delivers.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

Grace MacDonald’s life has always been a spectacle—literally. Orphaned young and adopted by a traveling Evangelist church, she’s grown up performing dramatic, high-dive stunts in their lurid Hell-themed sermons across California. But while the congregation marvels at her fearlessness, Grace is quietly consumed by longing and internal conflict: she’s obsessed with the father she never knew and struggles with her own desires, even as she’s engaged to Patrick, a medical student whose world is far removed from revival tents and fire-and-brimstone performances. As Grace’s fixation on finding her father intensifies, her grip on reality and those around her begins to fray, setting the stage for a moody, psychological descent.

Details & Specs

Director
John Hayes
Writer
John Hayes
Release
1970
Runtime
1h 24m
Country
United States of America
Language
English
Genres
Horror
Also Known As
Now I Lay Me Down to Die, The Faith Healer

Why This Matters

This film is notable for being written and directed by John Hayes and features Edmond O'Brien, with its release under multiple alternate titles reflecting its positioning within early 1970s American horror and exploitation cinema.
— SassyFlix Curator

Cast & Crew

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Director: John Hayes Writer: John Hayes

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Why Cult

Evangelist Roadshows

The film’s traveling church setting gives its horror a unique revival-tent flavor, complete with lurid Hell-themed performances.

High Dive Stunts

Grace’s signature high dive isn’t just a metaphor—she performs dramatic stunts during church acts, blending showmanship with existential dread.

Obsessive Father Search

Grace’s quest to find her real father anchors the film’s psychological spiral, fueling both its drama and its horror.

Religion Versus Science

With a preacher, a medical student, and a woman torn between them, the film plays out tensions between faith and reason.

Scene Gallery

Threat File

Trigger

Grace’s search for her father

Threat

Psychological breakdown and violence

Effect

Death and unraveling of reality

Setting

Traveling church, California backroads, barn

Questions from the Vault

When was Dream No Evil released? +

Dream No Evil was released in 1970.

Who directed Dream No Evil? +

Dream No Evil was directed by John Hayes.

How long is Dream No Evil? +

Dream No Evil has a runtime of 84 minutes.

What genre is Dream No Evil? +

Dream No Evil is a horror film.

Where can I watch Dream No Evil? +

You can watch Dream No Evil on SassyFlix.

Trailers & Clips