In Dreams review
Unpredictability is the best asset at In Dreams disposal. I knew nothing about the film when I hit play…and had no expectations on what directions it would take. This review of In Dreams will do its best to keep that experience intact for you. Streaming exclusively on Screambox January 17.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
In Dreams
Directed by Matías Moltrasio
Written by Gary Lee Michaels and Matías Moltrasio
Starring Bianca Brigitte Van Damme, Vannessa Vasquez and Chris Veres
In Dreams Review
There is a moment about a third of the way through In Dreams that is so relatable that I can’t believe I’ve never seen it depicted so realistically on film. That feeling you have when you dream of something horrible…and it feels so real that the moments after waking up leave you overcome by fear or sadness of whatever it was. In Dreams knows that feeling. It is used at the perfect time in the movie. Nothing afterwards feels right again. And the story is just beginning.
Alma (Bianca Van Damme) and her husband Eddie (Chris Veres) head to her grandfather’s cabin following his murder. Alma is plagued by nightmares and events at the cabin only serve to exacerbate them. Soon she will struggle to tell what’s real from what’s a dream. Or are her nightmares coming true?
As stated, the best thing you can do is go into In Dreams blind. I’ve purposely left out a plot development that occurs early in the story so that you can have the same fun I did in continually rediscovering what kind of movie this is. Just when you think you’ve got a bead on what’s happening…something changes. The pacing of the movie ramps up to match the frenzied way in which the story shifts.
On the surface this is a basic cabin in the woods setup. What unfolds, however, is different than the standard cabin horror film. The isolation and unease are still there…but the biggest threat may be in the head of our lead character. Alma’s trauma leaves her unable to trust her own eyes in the moment.
The small cast begins to shine as the movie starts to evolve. The slower, more dramatic moments that open In Dreams are not what the actors are most suited for. What they are suited for is the wild ride that the story becomes. And it begins to take off quickly.
Matías Moltrasio has a great eye for scenery. He takes full advantage of the woodsy setting. One particularly memorable image is achieved on a stormy night after the story’s biggest twist. He wisely makes it increasingly difficult to separate reality from dreams as the movie goes on. You’re left in the same confusion that Alma is facing…waiting to see if the latest surprising development is what has happened.
In Dreams is a short movie, clocking in at around 80 minutes. Moltrasio doesn’t waste time getting to the fun stuff and he doesn’t allow his movie to be padded out to increase its run time. This is a lean thriller that relies on the cleverness of its ever-spiraling story. It might take one turn too many…but it hits on enough good ones to forgive that. Although we can’t discuss why, In Dreams becomes a surprisingly crazy movie before too long. The final act of the movie is a wild time that lets everything that has been building explode.
Scare Value
So, there’s a lot we can’t discuss when reviewing In Dreams. The most important piece of information for you to take away is that the movie gets more fun and more unpredictable as it goes on. In Dreams is the best kind of unpredictable. Its turns aren’t telegraphed but make immediate sense in retrospect. It’s also a visually beautiful film. Moltrasio gives us some great visuals and lets the story unfold at an increasingly rapid pace. There’s a fun time to be had at this cabin in the woods.
3/5
In Dreams will begin streaming on Screambox on January 17. A screener was provided for this review.
In Dreams Link
Streaming on Screambox
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