Film Review: ‘In Your Dreams’ is an Amusing Animated Adventure for Families

Animation and dreams are a perfect marriage. You already can depict anything in the animated form, while the dream world is literally where your imagination gets to run wild. So, an animated film is exactly where you should be exploring dreams. With In Your Dreams, this family friendly movie is doing just that, wrapped up in a story that both the young and young at heart can easily enjoy.

In Your Dreams feels like Netflix has made a modern era Pixar film, which is largely a compliment. There’s creativity and vision, though you never feel like the art form is being moved forward. Now, that’s not something every animated flick aspires to, and that’s perfectly valid. This is more to set up expectations for the movie. It’s a clever and enjoyable work for the whole family, without question. It’s just not breaking any particularly new ground while doing so.

Pre-teen Stevie (voice of Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and her younger brother Elliot (voice of Elias Janssen) are happy and normal kids, living in a loving home with their father (voice of Simu Liu) and mother (voice of Cristin Milioti). All is well, at least until Stevie starts to notice strife within their musician parents’ marriage. Dad is struggling to make money with his music, while Mom has headed out of state for a job interview. When the kids find a book in a thrift shop called Legend of the Sandman something within Stevie is convinced that they can use it as a tool. If they can enter the dream world, maybe they can get the Sandman to grant a wish, saving their family.

Improbably, the plan works, launching Stevie and Elliot into their dreams. Accompanied by an iteration of Elliot’s favorite childhood stuffed animal, Baloney Tony (voice of Craig Robinson), they navigate the dream world, using trial and error to find the Sandman. Forces will stand in their way, of course, but it’s only when Stevie has the opportunity to have her wish granted does she start to understand what she’s actually asking for.

The voice work is rock solid here, with Jolie Hoang-Rappaport and Elias Janssen crafting believable kids out of their performances. Craig Robinson is having the most fun and is the funniest character, even if adults may be mixed on him (kids will love it, though). Simu Liu and Cristin Milioti are very much supporting players here, though they lend a bit of gravitas to the roles. Other voices here include those of Gia Carides, Jorge Diaz, Omid Djalili, and more.

Filmmaker Alex Woo shows his Pixar roots with his feature debut, though it has a slightly quirkier feel at times. Woo’s direction, as well as the screenplay he co-wrote with his co-director Erik Benson, thrives when the dream world is being utilized. A sequence in which the kids use trial and error within nightmares is a hoot, as is the introduction to Baloney Tony. Benson and Woo also add some genuine emotion to the third act, keeping things from ever getting repetitive.

In Your Dreams is unlikely to blow you away, but at a time when there aren’t a ton of family friendly options out, having this streaming on Netflix is definitely a plus for folks with kids. Even just childless adults like yours truly who are young at heart will find lots to enjoy here. Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it solid animated entertainment? You better believe it.

SCORE: ★★★