X
- 2018
- PG-13
- Netflix
- 1 h 37 m
- 2018
- PG-13
- Netflix
- 1 h 37 m
Summary Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark (Thomas Jane) decide to take in a sweet and loving 8-year-old boy, Cody. Unbeknownst to them, Cody is terrified of falling asleep. At first, they assume his previous unstable homes caused his aversion to sleep, but soon discover why: Cody's dreams manifest in reality as he sleeps. In one moment they experi...
Directed By: Mike Flanagan
Written By: Jeff Howard, Mike Flanagan
- 2018
- PG-13
- Netflix
- 1 h 37 m
- 2018
- PG-13
- Netflix
- 1 h 37 m
Before I Wake
68
6.7
Where to Watch
Summary Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark (Thomas Jane) decide to take in a sweet and loving 8-year-old boy, Cody. Unbeknownst to them, Cody is terrified of falling asleep. At first, they assume his previous unstable homes caused his aversion to sleep, but soon discover why: Cody's dreams manifest in reality as he sleeps. In one moment they experi...
Directed By: Mike Flanagan
Written By: Jeff Howard, Mike Flanagan
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 5 Critic Reviews
68
80% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
20% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 5 Critic Reviews
68
80% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
20% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Before I Wake is a beautiful, meditative ghost story with one of the more rewarding horror payoffs I’ve seen in years.
Before I Wake has its imperfections and moments of narrative lag, but its thoughtful touches and attention to character load Cody’s abilities and the threat of the Canker Man with a dramatic weight that often outbalances the generically spooky imagery.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 41 User Ratings
6.7
54% Positive
22 Ratings
22 Ratings
41% Mixed
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
5% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 41 User Ratings
6.7
54% Positive
22 Ratings
22 Ratings
41% Mixed
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
5% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Original, Beautiful Film- Not What You Expect
Rarely does a film surprise me at all but this film certainly did. Mike Flannigan created an enigmatic speculative on childhood love, loss, fear and death that is both uniquely interpretive and otherworldly fantastical. For those who go into this film anticipating a run-of-the-mill horror film with gruesome effects and bloody deaths, you will be exceedingly disappointed. This film is provocative in that it makes you think and feel throughout. It is at times vastly uncomfortable, but magnificently redemptive. What it achieves is a rare feat- one I would classify more in the realm of Pan's Labyrinth than something like The Ring. What it suffers from is completely misdirected and misleading marketing which has done this gem a huge disservice.
I'd watch it again. I'd recommend it to friends. Refrain from judging it based on the posters or the trailer. It's far greater than it's packaging and will probably be better received by audiences who expect more substance.
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Before I Wake's images have a pleasing straightforwardness that parallels the openness of the young protagonist's longing for love.
It’s a flawed film, but there are elements that really work, especially the lead performance and some of Flanagan’s gifts with composition. Before I Wake is also particularly interesting to watch now as one can see it as a career stepping stone to the movies he's made since.
As it lurches into its second act, Before I Wake begins slavishly following the beats of its studio horror contemporaries, (mostly) abandoning its nuance for rote investigations into the cause of the phenomena and horror set pieces that defy the previously established logic of the dream manifestations.
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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The fate of Before I Wake has been up in the air for quite some time. It was unclear if the movie was ever going to be released despite being fully-finished and the few critical reviews that were out there said that it was far from the director's best. Thankfully, Netflix and Flanagan used their relationship to finally ensure the movie sees the light of day. Just like his other movies, Before I Wake shows once again how Flanagan is one of the few people left in modern horror cinema to create actual characters with legitimate stories.
The plot is filled with a sort of eerie tension. There's a symbolic quality to horror scenes, particularly the final ones at the end of the movie, that add depth and allow the characters (all of whom are wonderfully acted) to grow from the events at hand. We watch a struggling couple deal with loss and moving on. The movie has a lot to say about trauma from the perspectives of adults and children. Both the moments of fantasy and horror tie into a specific characters life experiences. The mind of a child is beautifully used to create visions of magic and terror. The latter of which only falls a bit short by the overuse of the main monster. A necessary evil though because of significant that monster is to the story.
If the film leaves you wanting anything, it's a better ending. Things conclude on a solid note, but do leave a few questions. I was able to find the answers to them upon some reflection, but that didn't rescue me from my feelings of minor disappointment in this department. However, the fact that Flanagan might not have found the best conclusion to his story only further cements him as the Stephen King of filmmaking in my mind. Before I Wake is more original horror with touches of fantasy and a real story from one of the best names in the genre. If you've liked his previous works, this is not to be missed and it's still a must for horror's most devoted followers.
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Forget the generic title and concept, this is a surprisingly better than expected film. It's not an all out horror. It's not a comedy. It's a drama with horror elements. The story is the highlight, it's really well written. The characters are not as relatable or memorable though, serviceable enough to keep the story going. Production value is high with great acting, effects, sound design, music etc. It falls down when compared to The Babadook (2014) and Life Is Strange (2015). This is a cross between the two but fails to commit enough to surpass either. Certainly worth watching with enough scary moments, heartwarming drama and interesting conflict to keep you entertained to the end.
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Not a very good horror movie. The villain and backstory are poorly fleshed out, there's little dread or suspense, the performances are wooden, and the story was poorly resolved. It felt more like a drama about grief with a few jump scares thrown in, than anything resembling true horror
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Production Company
Demarest Films,
MICA Entertainment,
Intrepid Pictures
Release Date Jan 5, 2018
Duration 1 h 37 m
Rating PG-13
Tagline Fear your dreams
Awards
Young Artist Awards
• 1 Nomination
