in your dreams : wake up

Introduction to In Your Dreams

In Your Dreams is an important and good animated film for 2025. It's certainly not dazzling, nor is it a profound work of art, but that's precisely the secret to its success and quality. A film doesn't need to be spectacular in every aspect; what's most important, in my opinion, is conveying its message elegantly and engagingly, and it has certainly succeeded in that.

It speaks of family and the enduring bonds among its members, despite the problems or differences they face. It also tells us that not everything you dream of will come true, but you should never stop dreaming.

Every member of the family, even those with less desirable traits, deserves our support because, ultimately, they share our genetic makeup. We love others for their strengths and weaknesses, which are inherent in every person.

Also, every member of the family has a responsibility toward everyone, not just themselves, because the family is gathered in one place and no one lives alone. Even if we assume that there are members of the family who live alone, this does not prevent them from having a responsibility toward others in the family, even if that responsibility is slightly diminished.

Conscious Dreaming

God has given us this great creative ability in our lives: to dream of everything we cannot achieve in reality, and sometimes to dream of what we can reach and achieve.

We can also dream while awake, defining our dreams and their context. When we fall asleep, a part of our conscious reality and our conscious dreams become our dreams as we drift off, but this time they cannot be defined or controlled.

You are required not to live only in your dreams and be content with them, because when you are unable to change your reality and achieve your dreams, you resort to escaping into your dreams only, and this is not a good thing at all. Rather, dreams were designed to alleviate your helplessness and to push you to try to achieve the good ones.

Character portrayal

Sandman offers you sweet dreams and promises that things will always be good, but your happiness will inevitably come with sacrifices. You must carefully reconsider your position, because you might be surprised to find that this happiness is illusory, merely a dream from which you haven't yet awakened.

Nightmara presents you with nightmares that constantly disturb you, waking you from the best of dreams that turn into nightmares. Her warning lingers even after you wake up: immersing yourself in false happiness might blind you to the worst that could happen. Therefore, she serves as a warning, urging you to awaken from this false dream.

Stevie is a dreamer whose greatest desire is a happy, unbroken family. She believes that family members' desires shouldn't conflict with the family's unity and continuity. However, she erred in seeking someone else to do this for her, because changing a bad reality must be within your control and must become a reality, not just a dream suspended in your imagination.

Elliot is annoying in every way, but he's straightforward and sees only reality. He loves his family, yet he clings to the truth, however unpleasant it may be. Despite his young age, he seems mature and can distinguish truth from falsehood.

The father and mother are two distinct personalities; each has their own dreams and dreams of changing reality for the better, using whatever means they have. However, they forget there is a greater dream that unites them: the happy family they have created, which will not remain so if one of them distances themselves from the others and pursues their own dream independently.

Family gathering

To overcome the illusion of living only in dreams, the family had to reunite and choose to stay together. This is the message the film aimed to convey: a family cannot remain a family if its members don't stand together for their common good, and if an individual abandons their family, disintegration becomes all too easy.

Material things often control families, which is why some members drift apart in pursuit of money. This might be acceptable if it doesn't directly cause the family's disintegration or collapse, but caution is advised, as estrangement can be a double-edged sword.

Film Quality

The film is strong in its message, exciting in its plot twists and turns, and delightful in its comedy. It evokes a sense of warmth for everyone, particularly through the family gathering, and inspires you to pursue your dreams.

The characters are well-developed and somewhat realistic. Sandman and Nightmara are portrayed with opposing goals, but after watching the film, you might not remember them very well; they lack depth. However, the film's message resonates deeply with us.

The rest of the film's elements, such as directing, are excellent, though the characters could have been better developed to add depth to the story.