In Your Dreams review: Kids fight to save their parents marriage in thoughtful animated adventure
**Exploring the Dreamy World of Netflix’s *In Your Dreams***
Netflix’s latest animated feature, *In Your Dreams*, marks a promising debut for Kuku Studios, helmed by former Pixar story artist Alex Woo. Known for his work on beloved films like *Ratatouille* and *WALL-E*, Woo brings a unique touch to this enchanting tale that intertwines whimsical dreamscapes with poignant life lessons. The film follows young Stevie, voiced by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, and her mischievous brother Elliot, voiced by Elias Janssen, as they navigate their anxieties and familial tensions through a fantastical adventure sparked by an enchanted book titled *The Legend of the Sandman*. This magical journey takes them through vibrant dream worlds, where they seek the Sandman, voiced by Omid Djalili, in hopes of restoring their family’s happiness.
The film opens with an idyllic scene of Stevie making French toast with her parents, voiced by Simu Liu and Cristin Milioti, only for this sweetness to unravel into a nightmare. Stevie’s perfectionism and her brother’s chaotic energy reflect the underlying tensions in their family life, making their dream adventure both a quest for fun and a deeper exploration of their worries. As they traverse imaginative realms like Breakfast Town—home to sentient muffins and bacon—the contrasting visuals of their muted waking world and the vibrant dreamscapes serve to highlight their emotional struggles. The film cleverly uses dream logic to address real-life issues, as the siblings confront their fears and desires amidst whimsical chaos, including food zombies and surreal nightmare scenarios reminiscent of classic horror.
*In Your Dreams* stands out not only for its imaginative animation but also for its sensitive portrayal of family dynamics. Woo and his team navigate the complexities of parental conflict with nuance, avoiding melodrama while addressing the children’s awareness of their parents’ struggles. Stevie’s attempts to mediate and recreate happier times underscore the pressure children often feel in such situations. This thoughtful approach ensures that the film resonates with young audiences, conveying an important message about love, change, and resilience. As viewers embark on this magical journey with Stevie and Elliot, they are reminded that even in the face of uncertainty, hope and understanding can prevail. *In Your Dreams* premieres on November 14 on Netflix, inviting families to experience a heartfelt adventure that promises to be both entertaining and meaningful.
If Netflix’s
In Your Dreams
feels reminiscent of Pixar’s fantastical worlds and heartfelt life lessons, that’s no accident.
The film is the feature debut from director Alex Woo, who served as a story artist on
Ratatouille, WALL-E
, and more before departing Pixar and founding Kuku Studios.
In Your Dreams
is Kuku’s first film, and if it’s anything to go by, there’s a promising new animation studio in town.
What’s
In Your Dreams
about?
Stevie, Baloney Tony, and Elliot embark on a new adventure.
Credit: Netflix
In Your Dreams
begins with a scene so sweet it’ll make your teeth ache. A young girl named Stevie (voiced by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) makes French toast in the kitchen with her parents (voiced by Simu Liu and Cristin Milioti). They dance, crack inside jokes, and are all together too cloyingly cute to be true. That’s because they aren’t. All of this is a dream sequence, and it’s about to become a nightmare.
The nightmare manifests in the form of Stevie’s younger brother Elliot (voiced by Elias Janssen). His in-dream sobbing prompts pacifiers to rain down from the sky, triggering an argument between their parents.
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Like most dreams, Stevie’s nightmare reflects her current anxieties. She, a consummate perfectionist, shares a room with the human tornado (and amateur magician) that is Elliot. But his messiness is only one part of her stress. She’s also picking up on tension between her parents, and all she wants is for their family dynamic to go back to the idyllic, French toast-making days of the past.
She gets a surprising opportunity to make that dream come true when she and Elliot stumble on an enchanted book named
The Legend of the Sandman
. The book transports her and Elliot into their dream worlds. There, they hope to find the Sandman (voiced by Omid Djalili) so he can grant their wish for a happy family.
In Your Dreams
delivers cute dreams and spooky nightmares.
Welcome to Breakfast Town.
Credit: Netflix
In Your Dreams
‘ dreamscapes are sweet childhood fantasies. At one point, Stevie and Elliot venture down a river that can only be described as Disney’s It’s A Small World ride crossed with Chuck E. Cheese. At another, they arrive in the mouth-watering world of Breakfast Town, a feudal kingdom populated by sentient muffins and bacon. It’s there that they cross paths with Elliot’s treasured stuffed giraffe Baloney Tony (voiced by Craig Robinson), who becomes a delightful wisecracking (and laser-farting) guide to the siblings as they undertake their quest.
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These worlds come to vivid, colorful life, a nice contrast from
In Your Dreams
‘ more muted take on Stevie and Elliot’s waking world. But what truly makes them pop is how
In Your Dreams
turns them from dream to nightmare. Every time Stevie and Elliot panic on their journey, a storm of nightmare energy blows in and taints their dreams. Breakfast Town, for instance, slowly molds over in a neat visual trick, turning its citizens from cute treats to nasty food zombies.
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It’s clear that Woo and the
In Your Dreams
team had a fun time crafting the film’s nightmares, showcased in a madcap montage that explores both classic nightmare scenarios, like being naked in public, and some wilder ones, like being eaten by a giant hot dog. The dream-centric conceit allows the film’s animators to go wild, with shipwrecks and riffs on
The Shining
and
Sailor Moon
thrown in the mix. The result is a blast of an animated adventure, but it also carries a deep weight when it comes to exploring Stevie and Elliot’s worries about their family life.
In Your Dreams
doesn’t shy away from parental conflict.
Get ready for a moving family tale.
Credit: Netflix
None of
In Your Dreams
‘ dreamland chaos would mean anything if it wasn’t rooted in Stevie and Elliot’s anxieties about their parents’ marriage, which the film portrays with unflinching honesty. There are no overwrought screaming matches, no demonizing of either the kids’ mother or father. Instead, there are quiet conversations about whether the two need to spend some time apart, and how they’ve changed since the beginning of their marriage. It’s a thoughtful, mature portrayal of how parents can grow distant yet still love each other.
In Your Dreams
also acknowledges that kids are more than capable of noticing marital tensions, and that that can cause them stress. Take Stevie’s tries to play peacemaker — not just in the dream world, but in real life, too. They’re hopeful attempts to recreate the good old days, but they’re also proof that she’s putting undue pressure on herself over something she can’t control.
In Your Dreams
meets young people going through something similar at their level, telling them it will be okay. In a film full of magic and imaginary creatures, it’s this thoughtful messaging that keeps
In Your Dreams
feeling closer to a dream come true.
In Your Dreams
is now in select theaters.
It premieres Nov. 14 on Netflix.
