Lifetime Review: 'Stalked by My Doctor: A Sleepwalker's Nightmare'

After his latest escape from the law, Dr. Albert Beck (Eric Roberts) finds himself busing tables under his new alias as he lies low from the authorities. But after an encounter with Dr. Tanner (Clayton Rohner) at the diner, Beck sees the perfect opportunity to start a new life for himself, killing Tanner and assuming his identity at a New Mexico sleep clinic, where his first patient is one Michelle Miller (Emilie Ullerup).

As Michelle reveals, she suffers from sexomnia, a condition that causes her to become sexually active while sleepwalking. With her condition having recently begun affecting her work, Michelle is desperate to get help—though Beck is far more interested in using Michelle's condition for his own benefit. Beck's lustful interests are diverted, however, when he is introduced to Michelle's niece Katie (Angeline Appel), who suffers from similar sleepwalking issues as Michelle that make her susceptible to manipulation during her fits of sleepwalking.

With that in mind, Beck is up to his old ways trying to seduce Katie to be with him, utilizing her condition in his quest while dealing with the obstacles of a suspicious Michelle, as well as Katie's estranged boyfriend Leo (Matt Rife) and fellow clinic doctor Pamela (Felissa Rose). But throughout his journey, Beck finds himself plagued not only by his imaginary Hawaiian shirt wearing doppelganger, but a mysterious clinic patient named Nicky Bismar (Michael Perl), who seems to share Beck's obsessive tendencies and fixation on younger women. As Beck's malicious schemes unfolds, however, his psychosis reaches a crescendo—with Katie and Michelle caught in the crossfire.

Continuing with the darkly comedic subtext established in the previous film in Lifetime's illustrious film series, Stalked by my Doctor: A Sleepwalker's Nightmare has Eric Roberts stealing the show as crazed doctor turned fugitive psychopath Albert Beck. His shtick with his over-the-top fantasy lookalike is still as enjoyable to watch and well-acted by Roberts, and the appearance of Nicky Bismar (whose relevance and connection with Beck will not be divulged here to avoid spoilers) is a welcome twist in the usual "Stalked by my Doctor" formula that injects some intrigue into an already twisted thriller. With the film wasting no time throwing us into Beck's latest deranged plan, Sleepwalker's Nightmare starts and ends as a thrill ride.

Like in the previous Stalked by my Doctor entries, Eric Roberts thrives in his portrayal of Albert Beck, mixing together well the traits the series' titular doctor antagonist has developed over the course of the series: he remains comedically insane with a definite menacing dark side, while also maintaining a sliver of sympathy even as his villainous actions in Sleepwalker's Nightmare bring his perverted nature to the forefront.

The rest of the main cast fails to slouch around him, with Emilie Ullerup (reprising her role from Lifetime's Sleepwalking in Suburbia in a much appreciated nod to Lifetime's loyal viewers) and Angeline Appel both giving empathetic and sympathetic performances, with Appel in particular selling this as Katie finds herself manipulated by the crazed doctor who has won her trust. Ullerup also brings zest and proactiveness to Michelle, as she is quick to suspect Beck is not all he appears to be and, by the film's third act, is ready and willing to fight to bring him down. Michael Perl is also a welcome addition to the dimensions of Albert Beck, serving as an alarming parallel to Roberts' more unbalanced psychosis by playing Nicky a straightforwardly violent monster.

The supporting cast doesn't fare as well from lack of screentime, with the worst example being Matt Rife as Katie's college boyfriend Leo. After being introduced having broken up with Katie due to his friend taking advantage of her while she was sleepwalking, Leo's abrupt return and apology to Katie being met with instant forgiveness and reconciliation feels rushed and uncharacteristic given the horrifically callous treatment Katie received from Leo. As such, we never get the chance to really learn about or care for Leo, making his getting caught up in Beck's scheme elicit little emotional reaction. Elsewhere, scream queen Felissa Rose appears as Beck's new co-worker Pamela, and while she gives a strong performance in her short screentime and has a genuine emotional moment while trying to handle Michelle during a sleepwalking fit, she's unfortunately underutilized and her character's arc ends exactly as you expect it to.

Otherwise, Sleepwalker's Nightmare continues the "Stalked by my Doctor" franchise's streak of overall excellent Lifetime films, anchored by the fact that Eric Roberts always brings his A-game to the table and has continued to make Beck a three-dimensional and entertaining villain who you root for just as much as you do the protagonists he terrorizes. If you enjoyed the previous entries into this over-the-top dramatic saga, you're sure to enjoy this one just as much—perhaps even more so.

Score: 10 out of 10 electrifying conclusions.