Review of In Dreams (2013) by Ray D — 30 Apr 2012

I've read the critiques about this movie, and to be honest I'm not sure where all the antipathy stems from. The acting is really top notch (to be expected with such a good cast) and the visuals are beautiful, as many people have already noted all over the internet. But the real dislike people cite seems to be that it's a bad story, and I just don't agree. I think the story is engaging and exciting, the plot devices are a little shaky but no more so than your average hollywood production, and the character interactions are satisfyingly intense at times and very believable for a movie about dreams that tell the future.

The ending feels tacked on, I will say that. It has next to nothing to do with the story, and feels more like a Friday the 13th wannabe finisher as opposed to a proper ending. However, the bulk of the story arc is not this nonsensical monstrosity some reviewers seem to think it is. This is NOT Nightmare on Elm Street, it doesn't even play like a horror. It's a little psycho thriller and a little drama, and on the whole extremely entertaining.

The first time I watched this movie, I flipped on the TV and just left it on the channel the last person in my house had been watching. This movie just happened to be on, and with zero expectations I watched it and found myself feeling excited, anxious, frightened and sympathetic at all the right points. This is not a masterpiece, but very few films are. It seems to me like its got an unnecessarily bad rap, and I can't for the life of me figure out why. Maybe it was released at the wrong time, or marketed incorrectly, so people who went to see it were expecting something else.

Bottom Line: I would recommend that people watch this if they're looking for a surreal, suspenseful, creepy, and visually appealing movie. Suspend your disbelief a bit in order to be immersed and you'll enjoy yourself. And don't expect a gore-fest horror spectacular, do that and you'll be disappointed.