Running Time: 91 minutes
This feature received a limited theatrical release on November 7th and will be available to stream on Netflix as of November 14th.
Have you ever wondered, if you could travel into your dreams, what might it all look like? That’s the basic premise of the newest animated family feature from Netflix. In Your Dreams is a simple tale that is told from the perspective of two siblings who find themselves in a somewhat familiar, but very strange vision of their inner psyche. The sections taking place in the real world don’t exactly light up the screen, but the sights inside these sleeping protagonists are fun and entertaining to witness.
Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) is a young girl living in a small town going through typical tween crushes and other issues. However, after noticing that her Dad (Simu Lu) and Mom (Cristin Milioti) aren’t getting along and may be headed for a separation, her worries become far more tangible. One day, she and her brother Elliot (Elias Janssen) discover an old book that claims that the Sandman (Omid Djalili) is real. It explains that if one can find the figure in their dreams, he will grant the person anything they want. The pair quickly discover that the publication is correct about the figure and dreamworlds, to the point where the pair can both enter together. Stevie and Elliot see this opportunity as a way to fix their parent’s marriage. However, the dream world turns out to be confusing to navigate.
Scenes involving the family at home are nice but intentionally unspectacular. Thankfully, every time the kids go to sleep to continue their mission, the visuals impress and the story jolts to life. The little brother uses lucid dreaming skills to help them travel via a galloping bed. There’s a dynamic sequence set in a kingdom of favorite foods and treats that is both appealing and, at times, enjoyably sickening. Elliot’s stuffed animal collection is amusingly realized, including Baloney Tony (Craig Robinson), a fast-talking giraffe with a selfish streak and curious tastes in meat. And the young boy’s most hated possession, a stuffed bear, also makes an amusing appearance in an almost monstrous form. There are some entertaining nightmare visions that might cause very small viewers to fret, but most will earn smiles.
And when the kids do arrive at the Sandman’s lair, it’s also a memorable locale that resembles a sandy Escher painting. This part of the story also offers drama as Stevie learns that there is a major drawback to her ultimate wish. As mentioned, all the bits set in the dreamworld are creative and make an impression. And the pacing is quite zippy too. This is a movie that runs less than 80 minutes without credits. Beyond the main family drama, there isn’t much of a B-plot (other than a few gags involving a boy Stevie has a crush on) and as a result the story moves like a bullet.
The only issue with such a short tale is that the family conflict isn’t as developed as it should be. Both parents are at odds and have arguments about their future, but they’re quite pleasant to each other and the movie makes sure that things never get heated. Given the circumstances introduced, the drama isn’t as gripping as hoped for. It is also wrapped up in a quick and overly upbeat manner. One understands the makers not wanting a family feature to get too depressing, but the finale feels overly sentimental and jovial. Even a comment or half-joke from the lead about not knowing what the future will hold, but that one can always dream, would ring as less false than what actually occurs.
Still, there is a lot of creativity on display, and when the picture is thrusting its characters into amusing dreamscapes, it’s a lot of fun. And these days, it’s rare to see a new and original property getting produced and released on the big screen and on Netflix. In the end, In Your Dreams isn’t representative of my inner thoughts, nor is it the greatest mirage I’ve ever experienced, but it does feature enough eccentric sights and chuckles to earn itself a recommendation.
