Before I Wake
Directed by Mike FlanaganA couple adopt an orphaned child whose dreams - and nightmares - manifest physically as he sleeps.
Where to Watch Before I Wake
Cast of Before I Wake
Before I Wake Ratings & Reviews
- rg9400November 1, 2024I can see early seeds for Flanagan's latter works here. The visuals are surprisingly good, and there are attempts to ground the horror in trauma and symbolism. Unfortunately, it doesn't fully build an effective atmosphere, often feeling more like magical realism and a fairy tale than horror. The characters are also not very developed or engaging. I think you can track Flanagan's improvement over time, and this movie is where you really start to see his control over imagery, but it isn't close to one of his stronger works.
- Daniel GustavssonOctober 11, 2024What a disaster. I'm completely floored that the same person who created the masterpiece "Oculus", also created this trainwreck of a movie. There is not really much to say about this movie, nor will I make much effort trying to do so. The storyline is completely insane. Probably one of the most ludicrously executed plots I have ever witnessed. Seriously, if you watch movies for story, then don't see this. The characters are among the most unbelievable and unlikeable bunch I have ever seen. I wanted to kill half the cast with my bare hands. And the other half was just awful too. So seriously, if you watch movies for the characters, then don't see this. Which brings me to "the feels" of this movie. It is as cheesy as it gets. And then some. It tries it's absolute hardest to pull on your heart strings, and it fails so spectacularly at it that it quickly becomes annoying really fast. Unless you like them powty-mouthed kids who speaks as if they have put one too many crayons up their cute little button noses, of course. And because there is zero chance of connecting on any level with any of the characters, or the story for that matter, this problem only gets worse. At the end, when the movie predictably falls apart completely, believe me, you wish you could get your hands on that kid 🙂 so, if you like atmosphere in your movies, don't see this. Oh and the scary stuff? One scene definitely made me jump, otherwise it's more of a (very very bad) drama movie of sorts. But with almost no drama. I think you get the point. So if you're looking for something scary, definitely don't see this. If you haven't gotten the point yet, then I will be upfront: Just don't see this movie.
