The first trailer just dropped for “Dreams in Nightmares,” a queer road movie from writer-director Shatara Michelle Ford that’s already drawing early festival buzz.

The film stars Denée Benton (“The Gilded Age”) and Jasmin Savoy Brown (“Scream,” “Yellowjackets”) alongside Sasha Compère, Charlie Barnett, Mars Storm Rucker, and Dezi Bing. The story follows a group of queer friends in their mid-30s navigating love, identity, and belonging across an American road trip.

Ford, building on her earlier work, leads a creative team that includes cinematographer Ludovica Isidori, editor Cyndi Trissel, and composer Lia Ouyang Rusli (OHYUNG). The film clocks in at 128 minutes.

Early critical response has been strong. IndieWire called it “a stunning new spin on what the American road trip film can be,” while Variety praised Ford for making “a giant leap forward with a powerfully political yet humanist narrative.” The Film Stage described it as “a cathartic work of healing and beauty.”

“Dreams in Nightmares” opens in New York on August 21 and Los Angeles on August 28 before expanding nationwide in September. It’s a rare theatrical release for an indie voice tackling queer identity and friendship through the classic American road movie lens.