In Your Dreams Review: A Whimsical and Emotional Adventure About Family and Life

When you think about family movies that try to find that balance between honesty and childlike wonder nowadays, it feels like there are only a few that stand out. The latest undertaking from former Pixar animator Alex Woo, In Your Dreams, manages to be one of those films thanks to so many things that make it special.

In Your Dreams follows siblings Stevie and Elliot, whose parents are nearing the brink of separating. Due to this, the two try to escape into their dreams, finding an unusual book to open that door. However, their venture in the dream world to find the Sandman, avoid a nightmare queen, and save their parents’ relationship leaves a lasting impact.

From the concept alone, some may wonder how Woo plays into the extravagance of youthful escapism while having that grounded depth. Fortunately, Woo and his team walk that fine line almost with ease.

What makes In Your Dreams eye-catching is simply the wild and crazy dream sequences carefully placed throughout the film, infusing a sense of joy, pop, and comical terror that fits the tone.

The set pieces are a mixed bunch that come together to keep you in grabbed, whether it be a breakfast-filled town or an It’s A Small World-inspired pizza place ride. Each of these sequences have their own sense of life that can range from being lighthearted and playful to somewhat off-putting.

It pretty much covers all the bases of fears ranging from elementary to post-middle school troubles, so it’s best let that settle in for what to expect. 

There’s also a blend of different visual and storytelling forms that infuse these scenes together, whether it be a stylized montage of Stevie and Elliot’s biggest fears to the two blasting their “enemies” away with some Sailor Moon-inspired flair. This makes the sum of In Your Dreams‘s fantastical aesthetics work well, but that’s not all!

The film also loves using licensed songs that mention dreams, like Eurythmics’s “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” and even Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”. While some might feel like these references are blatantly obvious for a film about dreaming, they’re mostly used sparingly, save until the actual Sandman gets involved. 

Furthermore, In Your Dreams‘s humor combines a lot of styles, like subversive jokes that you wouldn’t expect in the moment to observational ones that make you feel rightfully awkward, yet fitting. There are a few scenes of comedy that stand out, but most of them are relegated in the dream world.

Most of these comedic ramblings are bestowed upon Elliot’s missing toy brought to life, Baloney Tony, wonderfully brought to life by Craig Robinson. Robinson provides the right amount of sheer sassiness, charisma, and empathy to make this plushy giraffe one to enjoy, even if he gets a bit out of hand at times.

However, it’s in the more family-focused scenes, both in the siblings’ sleep and in reality, that truly makes the film’s emotional tones work. Instead of trying to overemphasize the dire situation that Stevie and Elliot’s parents are going through, Woo is able to make both sides understandable with certain dialogue choices.

While it’s clear that their relationship is fracturing, In Your Dreams decides to let us slowly take it all in with distant conversations and subtle facial expressions that the parents give to both Stevie and Elliot. It’s as if it were to put us in Stevie’s shoes, almost in a first-person perspective, as we know but the film doesn’t fully involve us.

So, when Stevie tries to mend her parents’ relationship in the way she can, from prepping their favorite breakfast to trying to get an explanation out of them, that build-up keeps you captivated because of how personal it is.

Due to the fact that the basis for this film’s story is what Woo actually went through, it adds a layer of relatability that makes her character feel dynamically unique.

This shows in the realistic brother-sister dynamic that Stevie and Elliot share: both of them are chaotic in their own ways, but deep down, they truly love and appreciate each other. Jolie Hoang-Rappaport and Elias Janssen’s performances really work in tandem to make the two excitable leading characters to enjoy.

This bond fully goes through a rollercoaster of emotions, beginning from annoyance to bitterness to regret, with pacing that integrates this idea in both worlds naturally.

Although In Your Dreams‘s plot is driven by Stevie wanting “the perfect family” without Elliot, it confidently presents the opposite case. Through flashbacks of their younger lives to the present ones spent together to the entire third act itself, this idea of family and acceptance will really resonate for those who’ve had siblings going through similar situations. 

It also proves this through a unique narrative take on the yin-yang dynamic between Sandman and the queen, Nightmara. Although, to say more on this would be spoiling all the fun. Though, to say it reminded me, in some way, of Rise of the Guardians would certainly be understandable once it reveals itself.

Though In Your Dreams feels like the perfect story, some parts of it don’t necessarily work. For one, it tries to implement this romantic interest for Stevie even though it doesn’t really go anywhere. His inclusion in the film is mostly there for comic relief, to say the least.

Additionally, some of the dialogue may be too “on-the-nose” for some, especially when the third act comes around. The film just really loves to mention its title a bit too constantly around there, but it keeps this in moderation nonetheless.

Overall, Woo proudly makes his dream come true through In Your Dreams with its exciting visuals, delightful humor, and touching story about family and acceptance. With this film marking Woo’s directorial debut, I’m very excited to see where Woo goes from here as he’s truly given it his all with a heartfelt film to truly remember.

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In Your Dreams premieres on Friday, November 14, on Netflix.

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