Despite earning a theatrical release, this anthology was created for television and it has a certain, t.v.-level mediocrity that it can't escape. None of the four stories this anthology contains are bad, it's just that they revolve around themes and narrative hooks that will be familiar to anyone who has watched at least three episodes of The Twilight Zone, right down to the predictable twist endings. The film is also hurt by some cheap, t.v.-level effects, particularly during the ambitious final story. That said, Nightmares does offer a modest level of entertainment for the patient horror enthusiast. Joseph Sargent's direction keeps the stories looking professional and moving at a reliable pace. Nightmares further benefits from an excellent cast: standouts include Emilio Estevez's energetic turn as an obsessed video game fan in the second story, Lance Henriksen's soulful work as a confused priest in the third story and Richard Masur as a domineering businessman in the final tale. Ultimately, Nightmares is modest stuff whether evaluated on movie or television terms but its professionalism and solid performances make it watchable for genre completists.