Joko Anwar's "Nightmares and Daydreams" kicks off with a chilling tale titled
"Old House." Panji, a harried taxi driver, struggles to care for his aging
mother, Ranti, whose dementia makes her a handful. Torn between his wife Rara's
pleas and his own exhaustion, Panji makes a desperate decision – he leaves Ranti
at a luxurious retirement home, convinced it's the best option.
But "Old House" takes a sinister turn behind the seemingly idyllic facade of the shelter. As Panji grapples with guilt, we witness a dark secret lurking beneath the surface. The seemingly benevolent nurses are part of a sinister cult led by the enigmatic Noto. Wealthy patrons pay a horrifying price for eternal youth – sacrificing their youth to their offspring, or vice versa, through a grotesque ritual involving otherworldly creatures.
Panji stumbles upon this horrifying truth when he follows a hunch and returns to the shelter. Witnessing Bambang, another guilt-ridden son, forced to relinquish his youth to his mother, Kemala, shatters Panji's illusions. Fear intensifies as Panji narrowly escapes detection while The Banished, grotesque creatures born from failed rituals, hunt for him.
A desperate alliance with the ancient Nurse Siti, herself a victim of the ritual, offers Panji a glimmer of hope. He learns the tragic truth behind The Banished and the cycle of sacrifice perpetuating the cult's dark magic. Determined to right his wrongs, Panji seeks to rescue Ranti.
The climax is a heart-wrenching display of desperation and love. Panji confronts his mother, his pleas to leave drowned out by her dementia. In a final act of defiance, Panji sets the creature ablaze, sacrificing himself to save Ranti. However, the flames engulf the home, taking Ranti with it.
The episode ends on a chilling note – a hand emerges from the ashes, hinting at the possible return of the evil lurking within the "Old House." "Nightmares and Daydreams" establishes its chilling tone with "Old House," leaving viewers questioning the price of comfort and the lengths we'll go to for those we love.