How To Watch Hayden Panettiere's Final Movie, Sleepwalker

The unexpected death of actress Hayden Panettiere at the age of 36 comes as a blow to horror fans. Though she first rose to fame in family-friendly films like "Ice Princess" and "Bring It On: All or Nothing," Panettiere became a queen of genre titles through her roles in the hit sci-fi show "Heroes" and the "Scream" sequels. She also played a central role in the ambitious horror video game "Until Dawn," which used motion-capture performances and cinematic gameplay to capture the feeling of a horror movie — one where the player's choices decide which characters will live or die.

Panettiere's final film, "Sleepwalker," was also in the horror realm. In this psychological thriller, written and directed by Brandon Auman, she played the lead role of an artist who is left grieving after a car accident kills her daughter and leaves her abusive husband in a coma. She begins to sleepwalk, experiencing terrifying visions and struggling to separate her nightmares from reality. Panettiere also served as an executive producer on the film.

"Sleepwalker" was released direct to streaming with little fanfare on January 9, 2026, and passed under the radar for most people. But if you're interested in watching Hayden Panettiere's final performance, "Sleepwalker" is currently available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Prime Video, and Fandango.

Earlier this year Hayden Panettiere published a memoir, "This is Me: A Reckoning," which delved into the struggles she faced as both a child actor and into her adulthood. Among them are periods of darkness that reflect the topics she explored in "Sleepwalker." Following the birth of her daughter with Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, Panettiere experienced severe postpartum depression and began drinking heavily. She eventually agreed to give Klitschko, from whom she had since separated, full custody of their daughter in order to give her a more stable upbringing.

Towards the end of her time working on the TV show "Nashville," Panettiere entered a relationship with a man called Brian Hickerson. In 2020, Hickerson was arrested and charged with felony assault for his violent abuse of Panettiere during their relationship, as well as for intimidating a witness (Panettiere). Hickerson pleaded no contest to the domestic abuse charges and was jailed in 2021.

These experiences meant that the premise of "Sleepwalker" hit close to home. In an interview with Moviefone, Panettiere said that she'd chosen to work on "Sleepwalker" because "I'm really drawn to characters that have been through trauma. It's something that I relate to." She also said that the film's themes of guilt and loss are "topics that I'm familiar with, so I had a lot to pull from my real life."

Though the material was emotionally challenging, Panettiere was glad to have worked through it. "When it's dark subject matter like this, I feel very accomplished when I know that we got it, that we hit the nail on the head, and that I did my job to the best of my ability," she said. "I just feel it gives me deep pride in what I do."