Welcome one and all to my review of the 2016 horror film "Before I Wake". Before I begin I would suggest you check out my previous posts on Oats Studios, Eighteen Visions, Happy Death Day, Dario Argentos Inferno or just checking out the many other posts available on my blog at Welcome To Prime Time. As always if you have any comments or feedback leave a comment in the section at the bottom of the post.
"Before I Wake" is yet another fantastic "Netflix" own horror/thriller release written and directed by Mike Flanagan who has had a great record of fantastic horror releases in the past few years including: "Occulus", "Hush" and "Ouija:Origin Of Evil". "Before I Wake" follows the story of Mark and Jessie, who adopt a young boy by the name of Cody after their own child died in tragic circumstances. Strange things begin to happen as the young boys dreams begin to manifest themselves in real life. All seems beneficial to the grieving couple until the dreams begin to take a dark turn.
I really enjoyed "Before I Wake" which I watched through streaming service "Netflix" I am a huge fan of Flanagan's other work and I am glad that I took a chance on this film. I am glad in a genre filled with cheap "cash in" sequels, prequels and spin offs there is still original story telling being released. That's not to say that "Before I Wake" didn't have a few issues. I felt that the film fell into the quiet/loud tropes that have dominated modern horror cinema. Instead of a menacing visual feast I was subjected to cheap jump scares which is a shame as the visual effects were handled well. The character of "Cancer Man" was a terrifying spectacle enough without the cheap jumps and overly loud sound effects. The visual flourish of butterflies was a great addition and really creates some beautiful visuals.
The acting in "Before I Wake" was of a good standard throughout. Kate Bosworth's performance was pretty generic at the beginning of the film but, as the story progressed I began to warm to her. Thomas Jane was OK; I felt he had a permanent look of shock on his face which was a tad strange. I won't even mention his questionable wig choice. The real star of the show was Jacob Tremblay. At a mere 10 years old during production his performance in such a film is nothing short of outstanding. His mix of vulnerability and charm is a pleasure to watch and I look forward to great things from him.
The plot of "Before I Wake" was a strange mix of melodrama and horror. It felt a little disjointed at times and really felt like two separate stories could have been told. As I said I really enjoy original story telling in the horror genre and "Before I Wake" is a clear example of this. The idea of "If someones dreams could come true, would you use that for your own gain ?" is an interesting and thought provoking premise. I felt heart break for Mark and Jessie as they deal with the grief of losing a child and how they are trying to piece their lives back together. the pacing of the film allows for a great arc to be told until the third act unfolds perfectly and fills in all of the blanks of Cody's tragic past and how the "Cancer Man" came to live in his dreams.
Overall "Before I Wake" is a fantastic example of not only a unique and original voice in horror cinema but, also a great example of the quality of release that "Netflix" is able to release with one platform. I would highly recommend you not only check out "Before I Wake" but, also Mike Flanagan's other releases.
Thank you for reading and as always you can let me know what you think by leaving a comment below or by following me on social media by clicking one of the links at the right hand side of the my home page.
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