Joko Anwar's "Nightmares and Daydreams" unfolds with a chilling narrative titled "Old House," painting a vivid picture of Panji, a weary taxi driver battling to provide for his elderly mother, Ranti, whose dementia turns her into a challenging burden. Caught between the persistent pleas of his wife, Rara, and his own bone-deep fatigue, Panji resorts to a desperate measure—consigning Ranti to the luxurious confines of a retirement home, confident in his conviction that it's the best course of action for all.
However, "Old House" reveals its sinister underbelly beneath the retirement home's seemingly serene exterior. As Panji is consumed by guilt, a dark secret emerges, lurking beneath the surface like a predator waiting to strike. The ostensibly kind-hearted nurses are revealed to be members of a twisted cult led by the enigmatic Noto. Wealthy patrons pay a harrowing price for eternal youth—either sacrificing their youth to their descendants or vice versa, through a grotesque ritual that involves otherworldly beings.
Panji stumbles upon this harrowing truth when he follows a gnawing instinct and returns to the retirement home. Witnessing Bambang, another son weighed down by guilt, compelled to relinquish his youth to his mother, Kemala, shatters Panji's fragile illusions. Fear grips him tightly as he narrowly evades detection while The Banished—grotesque creatures spawned from failed rituals—hunt him with relentless pursuit.
In a desperate alliance forged with the ancient Nurse Siti, herself a hapless victim of the relentless ritual, Panji catches a fleeting ray of hope. He uncovers the poignant reality shrouding The Banished and the perpetual cycle of sacrifice that fuels the cult's sinister magic. Driven by a steadfast resolve to rectify his past misdeeds, Panji embarks on a mission to rescue Ranti.
The climax unfolds as a poignant spectacle of unyielding desperation intertwined with profound love. Panji confronts his mother, his heartfelt pleas lost amidst the tumultuous cacophony of her dementia. In a final, daring gesture of rebellion, Panji ignites the creature in a blazing inferno, willingly sacrificing himself to ensure Ranti's safety. Yet, the flames ravage the home, consuming Ranti along with it in a cataclysmic conclusion.
The episode concludes on an eerie, bone-chilling note—a hand emerges from the smoldering ashes, whispering tales of the malevolence potentially returning to haunt the "Old House." "Nightmares and Daydreams" cements its eerie ambiance with "Old House," compelling viewers to ponder the cost of comfort and the uncharted territories we traverse for the ones we cherish deeply.
