The Wasteland Reviewer

In Your Dreams (2025) Written Review

How far would you go to have the perfect family? Human beings are not perfect, which means our relationships will never be perfect. But that is a hard concept to understand when you are just a kid. A pre-teen has plenty to be frustrated about and struggle with. A younger sibling can be annoying. But you are also getting old enough to start noticing other things about their parents. You begin to realize that they are not perfect, and their marriage might not be all sunshine and rainbows. Netflix’s latest animated feature explores how children seek out their dreams, In Your Dreams. 

What type of experience do co-directors Erik Benson and Alexander Woo create with this new animated feature? The animation itself looks quite good and continues a strong trend for Netflix’s animation wing. The characters have designs that balance a fantastical feel while still feeling realistic. There is enough detail in the animation to give the film a higher quality feel. The film really soars when our sibling protagonists get lost in the world of their dreams. There are a few fun and creative locations including a kitchen town (full of beings made from food), a nightmarish storm, and the sandy world of the legendary Sandman. There is even a dreamlike world version of real life that is crafted just perfectly to be both beautiful and slightly creepy. The use of songs can be a little on the nose (it might be a little surprising when Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” starts playing at one point) but it does fit the dreamlike vibes of the film. There are fun and clever little motifs like how the kids disappear from their dream states. Overall, the visual experience of the film is one of its strengths. 

Does the script deliver something just fantastic and vibrant? The film certainly has a good heart. Thematically, In Your Dreams navigates sibling friction while also exploring how children process the subtler and challenging elements in their parents’ marriages. The silent fracturing of a marriage is one of the most layered and inspired elements of the film. It makes sense too that these young kids turn towards dreams and legends to fix their problems. The film might have some creative elements in its greater concept but unfortunately, the narrative leans one a lot of tropes to bring the story forward. The hidden villain trope is quite tired and plays out quite obviously here. You even have a silly comic relief character thrown in there along the way. The conflicts are resolved in predictable ways but at least the journey is engaging and entertaining enough where you don’t focus too much on how familiar it all feels. The humor is quite fun and there are some clever gags and jokes sprinkled throughout the film. The bones of the film are simplistic but there are at least enough added elements that give the film some personality and fun.

How well does the voice cast do in bringing their characters to life? Jolie Hoang-Rappaport is the real standout of the film with her leading role as the young Stevie. Empathetic and authentic, Hoang-Rappaport does a great job, feeling like a real pre-teen girl who is processing all these familial challenges as well as these bigger dreamlike elements. Elias Janssen does a fine job as Elliot, the younger brother, who is both genuine in his annoyance yet still has a bit of charm. His presentation is also quite high in energy making him stand out quite a bit. Simu Liu is a lot of fun as the fun dad character while also selling some of the more somber moments when his fracturing marriage takes focus. Cristin Milioti is more of the straight, less fun parent but she still feels genuine and gets her moments to stand out. Omi Djalili plays the Sandman role well with some earnestness and some added elements that work well for where his character goes. Gia Carides doesn’t get much of a spotlight, but she does bring Nightmara to life quite well. The big, attention-grabbing turn certainly comes from Craig Robison who is a stuffed animal Giraffe named Baloney Tony. He is not the most nuanced comic relief character, but Robinson brings all his brand of charm to the role. 

Is In Your Dreams another big win for Netflix’s animation studio this year? No one could have predicted how big a splash that K-Pop Demon Hunters would make but you should not expect the same from In Your Dreams. There are certainly some fun and clever dreamlike elements to this new animated feature. But there are plenty of familiar and borrowed elements that hold this dreamy adventure back from being truly special or great. A strong voice cast, good themes, and creative fantasy dream worlds is enough to make this a fun diversion for the whole family at least.