Review – In Your Dreams

Review – In Your Dreams – “When a family breaks, the dreams crack first.”
(Netflix – Animated Family Film)

In Your Dreams is one of those movies that reminds you why animation still matters,
not because of talking animals or glittery magic, but because animation lets filmmakers
play inside the impossible. It enables you to bend the world, blend emotions, and walk
right into the parts of life we struggle to face when we’re awake. The film takes that
idea, dreams as our private emotional playground, and builds a story full of potential.
And while the concept is genuinely great, the execution… lands somewhere in the
middle.

A Premise With Real Heart
The film follows Stevie (Jolie Hiang-Rappaport) and Eliot (Elias Janssen). The
siblings dive into their dreams as they try to track down the Sandman (Omid Djalili) to
save their parents’ crumbling marriage. And truly? That part worked for me. The
movie’s emotional core is strong and surprisingly mature. The parents aren’t villains.
They aren’t dramatic for the sake of drama. They’re tired. Worn down. Disconnected in
the way real couples can be when too much life has piled up.

You feel that heaviness right away:
 The mom, who once loved performing music, gives it up.
 The dad keeps performing even though it’s draining him physically and
financially.
 Stevie tries to hold the family together with little lies—”Mom made breakfast,”
“Dad left early for work”—because kids know when the house is falling apart,
even when adults pretend everything’s fine.
This honesty gives the film its best moments. It trusts its young audience with difficult
material, and that’s refreshing.

Sibling Chaos, But Not Much More
Stevie and Eliot are classic siblings; you nailed it the moment you meet them.
Stevie thinks Eliot is gross, annoying, and ruining her life simply by existing. Eliot wants
to be included. They’re loud, stubborn, and a little dramatic. In other words: totally
normal.
The film taps into that relatable “I love you, but you drive me crazy” dynamic… but
doesn’t go deeper. We don’t get the emotional texture or history that takes a sibling
relationship from “accurate” to “meaningful.” Their bond never grows beyond the
standard animated-movie arc, and that’s a letdown, because there was space to say
more, especially in a story centred on the fear of losing a family.

The Dreamworld: Big Ideas, Safe Execution
The dream world should’ve been where this movie soared. There are some lovely ideas:
a giant food town, a castle that looks like architecture drawn by a child, a flying bed,
and some creative characters. But here’s the issue:
The dreams never go beyond basic childhood imagination.
We get giant hot dogs, floating rooms, cartoonish creatures, and everything tinted
yellow or dark blue.
Kids will enjoy the silliness, but adults won’t see the more profound symbolism or visual
richness that films like Inside Out or Across the Spider-Verse convey so well. In a movie
that leans so heavily on dream logic, the visuals should’ve been breathtaking. Instead,
they’re cute… and forgettable.

A Story You Know All Too Well
Once the novelty wears off, the movie settles into a familiar pattern. You know the
formula. A child who feels powerless escapes into a fantasy world. Everything is fun at
first, then the fantasy turns messy, and they return home wiser and more appreciative
of what they have.
It’s a bit like “Coraline,” without the bite. The story hits the expected emotional beats,
but rarely rushes past them. As you watch, you’re waiting for that one scene, the
moment that breaks your heart or gives you chills, but… It never arrives.

The Hard Part: Wasted Potential
Let’s be honest. This film had all the ingredients to be something special, from a raw
emotional setup, strong thematic material, a visually limitless setting, siblings’ dynamic
with built-in conflict, and a magical mission with real stakes.
But the movie plays it safe. And that’s the biggest disappointment. It reaches for the
heart, but never thoroughly squeezes. It wants to explore adult themes, but doesn’t
trust itself to go further. It opens the door to something bigger… then quietly closes it.

What Does Work
The emotional truth about how kids experience and deal with divorce. Stevie’s
desperation to hold her family together is heartfelt and relatable. Eliot’s innocence and
love for his sister. The Sandman, who adds warmth and a touch of whimsy. Some
beautiful dream set pieces that make you wish the film had gone even bolder.

What Doesn’t
The predictable, overly familiar plots, dream visuals that stay on the surface. Characters
who don’t evolve in meaningful ways, and a final act that feels rushed rather than
emotionally satisfying.

Final Thoughts
In Your Dreams is built on a fantastic one that could’ve been magical, emotional, and
unforgettable. Instead, it settles for being pleasant and safe. Young kids will enjoy the
bright colours and goofy dream sequences, and the movie does deserve credit for
acknowledging that children understand more about adult relationships than we think.
But for viewers looking for a deeper emotional punch or something that stands out in
today’s crowded animated landscape, the movie falls short of its own potential.

Still worth a watch?
“Yes! Especially for families. Just don’t expect it to linger in your mind once
you wake up from it.”