Sweett Dreams

Netflix tackles the Sandman again, but this time as animated film In Your Dreams.

- WORDS: ADAM TANSWELL

WHIMSICAL adventure that includes a singing Simu Liu, an original take on the mythical Sandman and laser farts, In Your Dreams has a lot going for it. The Netflix animated movie is an enchanting fantasy that follows two siblings (Stevie and her younger brother Elliot) on a magical journey to the world of dreams. Here, it’s their mission to seek out the Sandman and ask him to grant them the ultimate wish: the perfect family.

Ah, how sweet. Or is it? What if the quarrelling parents at the heart of the story don’t want to save their marriage? “That’s a very good question,” chuckles In Your Dreams writer/director Alex Woo. “That’s something we definitely thought about and considered during the writing process. Ultimately, that’s not the case in our story. If it were, I think the movie would be very different - but it’s a great question and I think that’s why we see the parents having challenging conversations at the opening of the film. Those scenes were very difficult to write.”

DREAM ON DREAMER

When it comes to the iconic character of the Sandman, the filmmakers studied Greek mythology and the gods of sleep and dreams, including Hypnos and King Morpheus. Their research also led them through a slew of Sandman stories in movies, TV shows, books and comics.