Review of Before I Wake (2016) by Brett B — 03 Jun 2016

Anchored by some ultra strong, convincing character work, director Mike Flanagan's BEFORE I WAKE is another super solid entry in what is rapidly becoming a sterling directorial catalogue. Though the movie is ultimately more of a dark fantasy than an outright horror flick, the film creates an uneasy mood, even as there are some certifiably lovely visual moments and ideas in it, as well.

It has its share of scares, of course, some of which are unfortunately punctuated by unnecessarily loud noises, but it also brings us some truly chilling stuff, too, including a boogeyman-type entity that is properly eerie and frightening.

The movie has a neat central premise, one that provides both the expected genre-y stuff as well as strong thematic undertones; it explores common themes found in the genre, but does so in a fresh and engaging way.

Jacob Tremblay, so good in last year's ROOM, impresses again here, and demonstrates that - even at his very young age - he's already got some range; he has a great rapport with Thomas Jane, who himself does fine work opposite Kate Bosworth (they feel like a real couple working through real issues).

It is Bosworth, though, who really shines, delivering a fantastic performance that is probably the best I've seen from her. It doesn't fully stick the landing (because it tries to over-explain some things), but the denouement packs enough emotional heft to help make up for that, and it ultimately paints an affecting metaphorical portrait of how people - at different stages in their lives - process loss.