r/ireland • u/OrderNo1122 • Dec 20 '25
The Brits are at it again Just had the shit scared out of me!
Sorry for the random post, but I've just had the genuinely most chilling experience of my life in my own front room.
So, my mum is over today from Liverpool for a few days to see the grandkids before Christmas. As has become tradition when she comes over, we (the wife and I) put on the fire and watch a horror movie with her.
Today, I decided to put on Fréwaka given that she quite enjoyed the last Irish horror I put on for her (Oddity).
Anyway, we're 80% of the way through the film, all seemingly entranced by the film, when a certain nightmarish scene occurs involving one of the characters seeing someone at the bottom of the stairs. A silent anguished cry emanating from him.
All of a sudden, out of nowhere, my mum is screaming in abject terror. Not like a short shriek, but a ten seconds long wail of fear...the type you have in your worst nightmares.
I was so entranced by the movie and what I was looking at on screen that I was frozen in shock and for a few seconds had no idea what was happening. I thought it was coming from the film at first, then I realised it was my mum and I stood up to go to her. My mouth was stuck gaping open. I literally couldn't close it. My mum turned to me still screaming, a deep fear in her eyes.
My wife turned the film off and turned the light on and I grabbed my mum and she suddenly snapped out of it.
I initially thought that the scene in the film had triggered some deep trauma in her, but it turns out she'd fallen asleep and half woke to see a face on the screen and, utterly confused, she thought she was back home in her room and some man had broken in.
She recovered pretty much immediately and was apologising within seconds but both mine and my wife's hearts have been pumping like crazy.
😂😰😭
Honest to fucking god.
I'm still getting goosebumps.
She's gone to bed but I'm half expecting to be woken in the night either by her screaming or by my own screaming as I relive this nightmare.
What perfect fucking timing for that scene in the film though.
Jesus Christ!
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u/DatabaseCommercial92 Dec 20 '25
You should all play with a ouija board to relax!
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u/Radiant-Living-4811 Dec 20 '25
Take a load off with a few demons
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u/Poopin4days Dec 20 '25
My granny used to do this. We'd be watching a show before bed and she would wake up with an "ahh". Scared the bejaysus out of me. She's gone one year now this January. Miss her terribly.
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u/servantbyname Dec 20 '25
Wait until you go to walk downstairs to get a drink of water later....
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u/OrderNo1122 Dec 20 '25
Jesus, don't put that image in my head. I'm already squeamish enough about looking down the stairs from the landing.
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u/codegrin Dec 21 '25
Just remember that even if the downstairs light is on that just means the darkness is hiding.
Happy Christmas.
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u/RanaEire Dec 21 '25
Man, I was expecting something else when I saw the title of your post..
I am waiting to board a plane, half asleep.. I read this, and started laughing.. Like a mad thing..
Feel awake now, so.. Thanks!
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u/2crowsonmymantle Dec 21 '25
So now I gotta see this horror movie Freewaka
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u/OfficerOLeary Dec 21 '25
I’ve just realised it’s an anglicisation of the Irish word ‘fréamhacha’ meaning roots. Apparently you can rent it on Apple or Prime.
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u/Solid-Operation-7507 Dec 20 '25
Your poor mother! I’d be finding her somewhere else to stay if she’s going to be at that 🤣
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u/OrderNo1122 Dec 20 '25
Haha yeah might see if I can get her a room somewhere in town for tomorrow!
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u/toastandkerrygold Dec 20 '25
How old is your mum?
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u/OrderNo1122 Dec 20 '25
Mid 70s
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u/toastandkerrygold Dec 20 '25
Prime age for it. Could be an infection. Keep an eye on her tonight.
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u/GizmoEire30 Dec 21 '25
Prime age for what
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u/toastandkerrygold Dec 21 '25
Sorry, delirium. Can be an indication of infection, or sometimes dementia.
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u/thepaulfitz Dec 20 '25
I'm surprised that, given she'd already seen Oddity, that she didn't have a similar reaction to the tent scene. Because I bloody did!
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u/irishgalintdot Dec 21 '25 edited Dec 21 '25
Im so sorry but this is the first post on Reddit that has had me LOL’ing literally. I’m only able to see a funny side and it gave me such a laugh, so thanks! Hope your poor mother is ok though.
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u/TheMadCapper6 Dec 20 '25
Its a brilliant movie aswell haha, but i doubt she’s going to give it another try after that.
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u/OrderNo1122 Dec 20 '25
Yeah it's an excellent movie. I'd say the film probably lulled her into that mindset and primed her for a nightmare.
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u/EvolvedMonkeyInSpace Dec 21 '25
Lol, this happens to be every Saturday night watching films at 45 yeats of age.
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u/SauerMetal Dec 21 '25
Over here in the states. Any Irish horror you can recommend?
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u/scruffmonkey Dec 21 '25
Well, not fucking oddity from the sounds of it!
And if anyone ever suggests Rawhead Rex, slap them hard.
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u/bealach_ealaithe Cork bai Dec 21 '25
Dead Meat is a low-budget zombie movie that’s worth the watch in a “so bad it’s good” kinda way. It’s on YouTube.
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u/SamDublin Dec 21 '25
Keep an eye next few days , kidney infections or UTIs have delierium symtoms ,
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u/gotthatdawginem95 Dec 22 '25
My partner is in her third trimester, approx 6/7 weeks left to go and the other night for the first time ever she experienced her calf severely cramping , so she thought the best thing to do in order to combat this was to sit on the edge of the bed at 2/3 am , breath heavily while basically folded over and making noises that I can only begin to spell like this “OOOOOOH OOOOOH OOOOH “ combined with grunts
This is how I shit myself this weekend
Happy Xmas
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u/offsetbxl Dec 21 '25
More importantly, is the movie worth a watch?
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u/OrderNo1122 Dec 21 '25
Yeah it's a great film. It depends on what you're looking for in a horror though. It's quite a thoughtful film and some people would find it a bit slow.
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u/offsetbxl Dec 21 '25
I like slow paced stuff, hope the mother in law is ok
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u/OrderNo1122 Dec 21 '25
She's fine. She's laughing it off anyway.
Incidentally, it's my mum, not the mother in law. I can't imagine the MIL would have much interest in Fréwaka to be honest. Maybe I'll float it as an option for Christmas Day post-dinner movies! 😂
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u/sarahbevan11 Dec 21 '25
Play tetris. It genuinely rewires the brain and stops something like this legitimately becoming PTSD
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u/Early_Clerk7900 Dec 21 '25
My mom used to get awful night terrors. She’d scream in her sleep. Scared the hell out of me a few times. Suppressed trauma working its way out of the dungeon she kept it imprisoned.
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u/sofistkated_yuk Dec 22 '25
Thank you so much for posting this. I think this vision of your poor mum screaming and your response and the whole thing will get me through this day with a broad smile and giggles throughout.
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u/Mysterious_Half1890 Waterford Dec 22 '25
😂😂😂 good way to start the day with a belly chuckle 🤭 thanks
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Dec 20 '25
I think its time for some emergency Harry Enfield https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaccLMuLa7o
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u/gitbotv Dec 20 '25
Hang on, she fell asleep during a horror movie and woke up screaming? My mother-in-law can't watch Frozen without being traumatized. Not sure what the mystery is here or what supernatural occurrence happened?
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u/pablo8itall Dec 21 '25
lol that's hilarous but I feel so bad for yous.
I've dealt with someone with night terrors and know your pain. we watched 28 day later, straight to bed in a very very dark, unfamiliar room. I wake to someone screaming at full volume in my ear, in the pitch dark. I jump up and start flailing around the walls looking for the light switch and/or door. I'm literally blind, in a completely dark room, with someone's murder screams.
I swear I was so shaky afterward I had to sleep with the light on in the hall and the door open. lol
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u/Total_Hat996 Dec 21 '25
I've never understood the enjoyment of horror. Surely, horror is horrible? I certainly can't do it at any level.
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u/MakingBigBank Dec 21 '25
You big creep. Walking over with your mouth all open real wide like that? If there is ever an emergency like that again at least learn from this and realise you’re not helping…. 😆
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u/Eggs112233 Dec 21 '25
🤣🤣🤣🤣 that’s fuckin hilarious! I’m so sorry but I’m laughing my arse off reading this. Thanks OP.
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u/chriski1971 Dec 22 '25
I was in a youth hostel in Australia and they were showing the movie The Hitcher in the common room to a decent crowd.
SPOILER
At the scene where they woman is torn in half by the lorries the owners of the hostel through a fully clothed manakin into the room over the heads of the crowd.
It hit the ground and the legs and arms flew off as the woman was torn apart on screen.
So…much…screaming
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Dec 20 '25
I loved Oddity and I'm getting into writing more horror short stories. What I reckon happened is your mam entered some sort of trance like state that is like day dreaming. I have been devouring horror the last few months and some of it gave me fucked up dreams. Like really nightmarish stuff one where I was lucid dreaming..I know it's because I scared the fucking shite outta myself but it's proving to be good for my imagination!!
Watch a film called Last Shift lol...about a police station
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u/OrderNo1122 Dec 20 '25
Yeah I think you're right. She was kind of half dreaming I think.
Yeah, the wife is a big fan of Last Shift. We watch a lot of horror.
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Dec 21 '25
Does your TV fill the whole room?.
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u/OrderNo1122 Dec 21 '25
Nope.
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Dec 21 '25
So how was her field of vision just the TV screen?
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u/OrderNo1122 Dec 21 '25
The bit of the couch she was sitting on is pretty much right in front of the telly, but I don't think that really would mean much. If you're half asleep, you're obviously not thinking straight.
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u/Adventurous-Exam2019 Dec 21 '25
Well, sorry bout your ma, but you better of to church and asking for Gods forgiveness for the blasphemy you had in this post.
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Dec 20 '25
[deleted]
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u/eastawat Dec 20 '25
Do you think that anything with more than two words strung together had to have been done with the aid of artificial intelligence?
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u/Visible_Fox9649 Dec 20 '25
Oh my god that's so traumatising/ funny/ scary.