Somnia

This movie is a mix of fantasy/horror/drama and has alot of heart. I don't know if you can call it a horror movie, a family drama, or a supernatural thriller, it's kind of all of them.

If your expecting to be scared, you'll be disappointed, instead you'll be moved to tears almost.

The stage curtains open ...

"Before I Wake" is a visual extravaganza - mystical, horrifying, and even magical all at the same time. Not exactly a Horror movie, not exactly a Thriller either ... and not even a Drama. It is hard to classify this movie. What it is, to me, is a Fairy Tale - what could be a terrifying fairy tale, that caters to the eyes.

Some time after the Hobsons lost their own little boy to a drowning accident, they foster another special boy and take him into their home. He is quiet, unobtrusive and is afraid to fall asleep. But when he does fall asleep, wonderful things begin to happen. Physical manifestations of what he is dreaming about actually begin to appear - starting first with colorful butterflies, then their own son next to a christmas tree ... and then the darkness begins to show through. The 'Canker Man' arrives and suddenly, his ability is no longer wondrous - it is deadly.

This movie starts out with a bang as the very first scene grabs your attention and keeps you glued to the screen. As the movie develops though, it loses some of its steam. I was not impressed with Kate Bosworth in this one as the foster mother. She was one of the most boring characters I think I've seen in recent memory. Pretty much devoid of any personality, she just kinda floats from one scene to the next. Her facial expression is the same in every single take.

The strength of this movie is in its visuals. Fantastic - and yet, still not really strong enough to make this a recommend. Overall, I did enjoy the story and young Jacob Tremblay was impressive as the troubled dreamer. But, it was nothing really special or noteworthy. Some people are really going to love this movie, and I can understand why. I personally felt it was just okay.

Okay here we go... I am so sick of all the people writing reviews where they pick apart the Genre classification, like that some how makes the content of the movie bad because of their "say-so". Get a damn life and quit being a anal retentive Armchair sycophant. Couldn't you just say they got the sub categories wrong and be done with it. No one really gives a crap. If you think it really matters, Then write to the Studio that produced the film and complain to them. (guaranteed your letter will wind up in the round file") Instead, write a fair review about the actual "Movie" and move on. NOW... I liked this movie, it was done well, great acting ( the kid stole the show in my opinion). Filming was great, suspense slow and grinding, Music was good and the special effects were actual good for this type of movie. It reminded me of the 1984 movie Dreamscape with Dennis Quaid and David Patrick Kelly where he helps the kid with the same kind of problem. Done well and It was great entertainment. Enjoy.

Before I Wake tells the story of Cody(Jacob Tremblay). Cody has been moving from place to place because, different foster parents have been adopting him from time to time. Now, he is in the care of, Jessie(Kate Bosworth) & Mark(Thomas Jane). Jessie & Mark soon realize, that Cody's dreams physically appear before them, as he sleeps. The deadly fact is, the same thing happens during his nightmares.

Before I Wake is an impressive film. However, it is not that scary. The jump scares are minimal. The suspense is superbly maintained throughout the movie, by director Mike Flanagan. However, the ending of the film, is disappointing & frankly, slightly silly. The biggest flaw with this movie is that it is not properly categorized. It is supposed to be a horror movie but, it feels more like a fantasy thriller. The script by Mike Flanagan & Jeff Howard is original & unique. However, I liked Flanagan & Howard's previous collaboration, Oculus(2013) better. Jacob Tremblay's performance as Cody, is the highlight of the film. Tremblay continues to impress us with his supreme acting ability, after being lauded for his performance in Room(2015). Kate Bosworth is great as Jessie. Thomas Jane is effective as Mark. Annabeth Gish is good as Natalie. Dash Mihok is awesome as Whelan. Antonio Evan Romero, Kyla Deaver & Hunter Wenzel are amazing as Sean, Annie & Tate, respectively. Before I Wake is not a must watch. Still, it is worth a watch if you have some time to spare.

This movie somewhat reminded me of "A.I. Artificial Intelligence", a movie that started out like a drama and in the end felt like a fairy tale story. "Before I Wake" has the feel of a horror movie at times, but turns into, albeit a scary one, a fairy tale. The good: The actors did a fine job, especially the two leads. A well written story and the fantasy effects looks good. The bad: The monster did not look very scary, but I guess there is a reason for that in the story. The movie is promoted as a horror, I guess that will leave some viewers disappointed. This is not The Conjuring or Saw. This is a fantasy with some scary elements.