Before I Wake Review
By: Nik S
Director: Mike Flanagan
Producer(s): Mali Elfman, Brian Flanagan, Trevor Macy, Julie B. May
Starring: Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane, Jacob Tremblay, Annabeth Gish, Dash Mihok
Production Company: MICA Entertainment, Demarest Films, Intrepid Pictures
Distributor: Netflix (2018 to US), Batrax Entertainment (Non-US)
Runtime: 97 minutes
A married couple, Jessie (Bosworth) and Mark (Jane) decide to move on after the death of their son by adopting an 8-year-old orphan boy, Cody (Tremblay). The couple's son drowned in the bathtub which has shaken Jessie to her core and has her going to group therapy. The foster parents soon discover that Cody has a very unique gift; whenever he falls asleep, his dreams project themselves into a physical manifestation. The young boy has dreams of butterflies and even his adoptive parents' dead son Sean (Romero) of whom Jessie tries to get Cody to dream of often. What Jessie and Mark are unaware of is a monster lurking in the back of their foster child, a creature which he has named Canker Man.
The movie has its flaws, primarily with a lag in the narration, but it does well to pay attention to the laws of Cody's ability, the overwhelming threat of the Canker Man, and the desperation of parents. The scares try to stray away from your typical jumpscares and instead focuses on a child's worst fear: not receiving your parents love, or being loved at all. Flanagan does very well to focus more on emotional themes, especially when it comes to parents having to decide what is right for them may not always be what is right for the child. The greatest accompaniment to the theme is the tone set by the musical score which has a bit of nostalgia to it (probably because it was composed by Danny Elfman). The cinematography is well done to help create a sense of dream like wonder, and a creeping chill with tilted angles and quick and jagged shots.
The acting can be hit or miss sometimes, which can take you out of the moment. The child acting is alright as the kids seem to have good direction. Bonsworth does well conveying a portrait of a desperate mother who wants to cling on to having her dead son back in her life. She does well at letting the audience know that her character is dealing with her own demons, and battling with her conscious for the safety of Cody. In the beginning of the film Jane is the weaker actor, when the tension builds up between him and Bonsworth is when he really shines through. The CGI isn't the greatest and can often look really out of place, especially with the main monster. The design of the Canker Man is done well to look like a child's drawing come to life: no nose, ears, and a distorted body. Even with a good design, the effects take away from the horror and scares.
The first thing I noticed when this film opened was the music, since it has Danny Elfman written all over it. It's certainly not your typical horror score, but it really works for this movie. I wasn't too impressed by the acting since it was really hit and miss with me, and often took me out of the story to notice how cheesy it was sometimes. If you can overlook some occasional bad acting then the story and mystery of Cody and his abilities are what can keep you engaged. I wasn't a fan of Flanagan's earlier works, as they were just generic jumpscare movies in my opinion. Before I Wake actually shows the potential of Flanagan as a director, making curious about his other works that he did for Netflix.
Director: Mike Flanagan
Producer(s): Mali Elfman, Brian Flanagan, Trevor Macy, Julie B. May
Starring: Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane, Jacob Tremblay, Annabeth Gish, Dash Mihok
Production Company: MICA Entertainment, Demarest Films, Intrepid Pictures
Distributor: Netflix (2018 to US), Batrax Entertainment (Non-US)
Runtime: 97 minutes
Most horror movies try to stay away from fantasy elements, Before I Wake preys on the worst fear for parents and children with a child-like whim. Originally shot in 2013 the film was supposed to see a 2015 release. The film was delayed several times due to its original distributor, Relativity Media, going bankrupt. It was picked up in 2016 for non-US releases by Batrax Entertainment (and various others for different regions) and eventually by Netflix. It's no surprise that Netflix picked up this film as it's director, Mike Flanagan, has directed Stephen King's adaptation of Gerald's Game and the thriller Hush for them. This is technically the third film by Flanagan, the first two being Oculus and Ouija: Origin of Evil so he's no stranger to horror.
A married couple, Jessie (Bosworth) and Mark (Jane) decide to move on after the death of their son by adopting an 8-year-old orphan boy, Cody (Tremblay). The couple's son drowned in the bathtub which has shaken Jessie to her core and has her going to group therapy. The foster parents soon discover that Cody has a very unique gift; whenever he falls asleep, his dreams project themselves into a physical manifestation. The young boy has dreams of butterflies and even his adoptive parents' dead son Sean (Romero) of whom Jessie tries to get Cody to dream of often. What Jessie and Mark are unaware of is a monster lurking in the back of their foster child, a creature which he has named Canker Man.
The movie has its flaws, primarily with a lag in the narration, but it does well to pay attention to the laws of Cody's ability, the overwhelming threat of the Canker Man, and the desperation of parents. The scares try to stray away from your typical jumpscares and instead focuses on a child's worst fear: not receiving your parents love, or being loved at all. Flanagan does very well to focus more on emotional themes, especially when it comes to parents having to decide what is right for them may not always be what is right for the child. The greatest accompaniment to the theme is the tone set by the musical score which has a bit of nostalgia to it (probably because it was composed by Danny Elfman). The cinematography is well done to help create a sense of dream like wonder, and a creeping chill with tilted angles and quick and jagged shots.
The acting can be hit or miss sometimes, which can take you out of the moment. The child acting is alright as the kids seem to have good direction. Bonsworth does well conveying a portrait of a desperate mother who wants to cling on to having her dead son back in her life. She does well at letting the audience know that her character is dealing with her own demons, and battling with her conscious for the safety of Cody. In the beginning of the film Jane is the weaker actor, when the tension builds up between him and Bonsworth is when he really shines through. The CGI isn't the greatest and can often look really out of place, especially with the main monster. The design of the Canker Man is done well to look like a child's drawing come to life: no nose, ears, and a distorted body. Even with a good design, the effects take away from the horror and scares.
The first thing I noticed when this film opened was the music, since it has Danny Elfman written all over it. It's certainly not your typical horror score, but it really works for this movie. I wasn't too impressed by the acting since it was really hit and miss with me, and often took me out of the story to notice how cheesy it was sometimes. If you can overlook some occasional bad acting then the story and mystery of Cody and his abilities are what can keep you engaged. I wasn't a fan of Flanagan's earlier works, as they were just generic jumpscare movies in my opinion. Before I Wake actually shows the potential of Flanagan as a director, making curious about his other works that he did for Netflix.
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