I grew up on late-night cable movies. Weird ones. The kind that’d flicker on between reruns of The Twilight Zone and infomercials for Ron Popeil’s Showtime Rotisserie (“Set it and forget it!”). That’s where I first saw Sleepwalkers (1992) — Stephen King’s wild, cult-horror movie about shapeshifting cat vampires.
Sometimes I think the reason I love most of the movies I grew up with is owed to sheer repetition. The cable companies’ strategy back in the day seemed to be: hammer the viewer with this stuff until they love it.
I guess it worked.
Still, I don’t know if that explains how a Stephen King–penned horror film about incestuous, shapeshifting cat-vampire lovers got a theatrical release and made money. But it did. Sleepwalkers is schlocky, sleazy, and full of that unmistakable early-’90s, coke-fueled energy — but it’s also weirdly charming in many ways despite how deeply uncomfortable it is in others.
In this week’s Dhalhouse video, I dig into Sleepwalkers’ small-town horror vibes, kooky cameos, and why this particular brand of early ’90s Stephen King madness still works — even when it really, really shouldn’t.
Watch the full Sleepwalkers (1992) review below, then tell me your favorite “what-the-hell-did-I-just-watch” horror movie in the comments.
What are your thoughts on Stephen King’s Sleepwalkers? Too weird or not weird enough? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll see you there.
