IN YOUR DREAMS is directed by Alex Woo. The film features the voices of Craig Robinson, Simu Liu, Elias Janssen, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, and Cristin Milioti.
Stevie and Elliot enjoy living in suburbia with their parents, both of whom used to have promising musical careers. But when marital troubles and midlife crises rear their ugly heads, including the family potentially having to move due to a new job Mom is interviewing for, the kids use a both they found in a second-hard store to enter the world of dreams and try to get the Sandman to make their dreams come true. But along the way, they’ll encounter several obstacles from a wide variety of dreams and nightmares alike.
Animated family entertainment is a dime a dozen these days, with (typically 3D) animated films coming out constantly. Netflix has certainly dipped their toes into this avenue on more than a few occasions, with IN YOUR DREAMS being the streaming giant’s latest foray into animation for the family. Despite a cast of relative unknowns, the film is surprisingly heartwarming and funny, and certainly one of the surprises of the year.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of IN YOUR DREAMS is that there are very few “name” actors in it. Probably the most noteworthy names included in the film are actor/comedian Craig Robinson voicing a stuffed animal, and Simu Liu (Shang-Chi from the Marvel Cinematic Universe) as the father, but everyone here gives a great performance. The movie primarily revolves around brother and sister Elliot and Stevie, with their respective voice actors bringing a lot of heart and humor alike into the production. Although the film clocks in at under an hour and a half, I definitely found myself falling in love with these characters, and certainly wouldn’t be opposed to revisiting them in another film one day.
Movies like this have to strike a delicate balancing act between being funny and being emotional, and I’m pleased to say that IN YOUR DREAMS manages to pull this off surprisingly well. It brings relatable themes to the forefront, and approaches them in a way that both kids and adults will be entertained and moved by. It’s been a while since a family movie tugged at my heartstrings and funny bone equally. If that’s not great praise for what unfolds on screen in IN YOUR DREAMS, I don’t know what is.
The movie’s premise of traveling through dreams to seek the Sandman to make the children’s dreams come true of keeping their family together makes for some very entertaining scenes. Odds are these will be relatable as well, from dreams about edible towns to those embarrassing and awkward naked dreams (don’t worry; the movie keeps its PG rating), these sequences are among the movie’s finest, yet the humor never overwhelms the heart or the message, in which things don’t have to be perfect, and that some changes in life are okay.
There are a few minor flaws that keep the film from greatness, though these are fortunately limited. The movie can’t resist going into toilet humor territory on a few occasions, and some elements and plot points are a bit underused. Likewise, while the film handles its themes well, it can’t quite compete with some of the bigger kids/family animated productions of recent years. That said, the movie does what it sets out to do, and is certainly an above average one.
IN YOUR DREAMS is a dream come true for the family with its relatable characters and a great mix of heart and humor. I doubt it’s going to top anyone’s list of the best animated films of all time, but it’s still excellent viewing for young and old alike. When this one hits Netflix later this month, it’s worth checking out. Highly recommended!