Creator Highlight: Audrie Nightmare

By: Myriam Akbar

Meet horror content creator Audrie Rivera, based out of Los Angeles. She began making TikTok videos in October 2024, because her friends kept asking her what movies they should watch. “I had this ridiculously long notes app list, organized by genre that I’d send them. One day, I thought: Wait — maybe the internet wants this too? And boom — Audrie Nightmare was born,” she shares. Rivera’s passion for the art began when she was a child and as a teen was singing with the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. She also did musical theater and participated in plays, switching to film and TV once she moved to Los Angeles. “I was auditioning until last year, when I realized the industry was in disarray. However I knew I had to feed that creative beast, so I married my love of performing and horror —and here we are,” she says. Her other preferred genres are thriller and mystery, listing Army of Darkness and Thirteen Ghosts as favorite films.

Rivera says the best part of being a content creator is connecting with other horror lovers that are just as passionate and excited about the genre as she is. “The friendships I’ve made are priceless,” she says. An accomplishment she’s proud of is overcoming the fear of internet trolls and having the confidence to put herself out there. As for highlights while being in the field, she lists meeting other creators and being invited to film screenings. An event for the upcoming horror film, Keeper was a memorable experience for Rivera because Osgood Perkins was there. “Hearing about his fears and inspirations for the film was fascinating. He’s such a compelling storyteller. I’m counting down the days until we get the full release,” she shares. “The challenge of making content is finding time between my full-time job and side hustles to actually make it happen. I also procrastinate like it’s an Olympic sport. However, the true villain is editing,” she admits.

Although she is currently building her career behind the camera, Rivera is still very much pursuing acting. Looking forward, one of her biggest goals is to play a villain in a horror film. “Once you’re in this world, it’s impossible not to want to get involved. That’s my dream, getting to be unhinged on screen,” she says.