- PG
- 1h 27m
- Directed by
-
- Alex Woo
- Story
- Stanley Moore
- Premiered
- November 07, 2025
- Language
-
- English
- Status
- Released
- Country
-
- United States of America
In Your Dreams
- Production
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- Kuku Studios
- Netflix Animation Studios
Spoiler
In the enchanting animated film In Your Dreams, now streaming on Netflix, siblings Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and Elliot (Elias Janssen) embark on an extraordinary quest to mend their fractured family. Driven by a desperate desire for their parents to reconcile, they discover a magical book that transports them into the surreal realm of their dreams. Their objective: to find the enigmatic Sandman (Omid Djalili), a mythical figure believed to hold the key to restoring familial harmony.
This shared mission initially unites the bickering siblings, forging a bond amidst the fantastical landscapes of their subconscious. However, Stevie's journey takes a profound turn as she delves deeper into her own mind. Within her dreamscape, she conjures an idealized vision of her parents, a perfect union where their disagreements over a stalled music career and a potential out-of-state job offer for her mother cease to exist. This idyllic existence becomes so compelling that Stevie faces the temptation of remaining in this fabricated reality forever, detached from the complexities of real life.
The narrative then shifts to the urgent efforts of Elliot and their parents to bring Stevie back to consciousness. Director Alex Woo explains his guiding principle for the film: "I made this movie with the belief that the best way through is with an open heart — that sometimes we need to let go of what we dream life should be and hold on to life as it actually is." This philosophy underpins the film's exploration of acceptance and the embrace of reality, however imperfect.
The climax of In Your Dreams sees Stevie, lost in a deep slumber, rushed to the hospital by her concerned family. Elliot, armed with the knowledge of their magical book, bravely ventures into the dream world. He navigates his own nightmares, racing against time to reach Stevie before the Sandman's sandglass empties, which would trap her in her dream state permanently.
Inside Stevie's dream, a shocking revelation awaits Elliot: he doesn't exist in this fabricated reality. Cristin Milioti, who voices Stevie's mother, elaborates on this poignant aspect: "Stevie really keeps trying to get to this perfect reality, and it just keeps fracturing in different ways. I think one of the aspects that I find very moving is that even within the dreams, there’s always something missing or there's always something slightly wrong." As Stevie grapples with the absence of her brother, she encounters Baloney Tony, her stuffed giraffe. A flashback reveals the significance of this toy, a cherished memento from Polly's Pizzeria, their favorite childhood haunt. Director Alex Woo shares the creative team's struggle to convey Elliot's importance to Stevie: "We really struggled with how we were going to get Stevie to realize how important Elliot was to her, and we tried all sorts of different things. We tried to do flashbacks to earlier moments in the film to showcase and remind her when they worked together that they were able to succeed, but it didn’t quite work." Ultimately, the shared memory of Baloney Tony and their visits to Polly's Pizzeria becomes the emotional anchor that helps Stevie recognize the value of her brother.
Overwhelmed by love for Elliot and a yearning for reality, Stevie attempts to escape her dream, only to find herself trapped. It is Elliot who ultimately pulls her back, and together they race to prevent the sandglass from emptying. Their path is obstructed by the Sandman's adorable henchmen, the Sandlings. As the tiny creatures overwhelm the siblings, their parents arrive, having found a way into the Sandman's lair. Working in unison, they hold open the gateway, allowing Stevie and Elliot to escape the dream world. The family reunites in a heartfelt embrace, echoing producer Gregg Taylor's sentiment: "Life isn’t perfect. There comes a moment when we realize we need to see life as it is, rather than what we wish it could be."
The film's resolution offers a nuanced perspective on the parents' relationship. While the mother accepts an out-of-town university position and the father plans to form a new band, the entire family decides to move together. Stevie's voice-over provides insight: "They’re still figuring things out. And that’s OK." As they embark on this new chapter, Stevie reflects, "It turns out my dreams were trying to tell me something. Life isn’t perfect and neither are we. But no matter how it changes, we’ll always have each other."
Woo reveals that the creative team explored various endings, including a definitive separation for the parents (deemed too bleak) and a forced reconciliation (considered artificial). They settled on an ambiguous conclusion, symbolizing the ongoing effort within the family. A final scene depicts the parents struggling to move a large box, moving in different directions, illustrating their continued efforts to synchronize. "You can tell they’re just not quite in sync yet, but they’re trying," Woo observes. "I wanted to leave it open-ended because the truth is it doesn’t really matter where they end up because they're always going to love each other."
The film's sensitive portrayal of family dynamics was a deliberate choice, with Woo and his team consulting child psychologists specializing in family trauma. The feedback reinforced the film's authentic depiction of children navigating parental uncertainty, particularly the common tendency for young girls to desire fixing the situation. The collective effort of the family to rescue Stevie and overcome the obstacles in the dream world serves as a powerful metaphor: "Only when they come together as a family can they persevere and overcome the obstacles that an imperfect life and an imperfect world throws their way."
Simu Liu, who voices the father, hopes In Your Dreams will foster open conversations between children and parents. "My hope for this movie is that families can watch it, and it becomes a starting point for a conversation of, ‘Hey, Mommy and Daddy fight sometimes. We don’t always see eye to eye on everything, and that's totally OK. That’s natural. It doesn’t mean we love each other any less.’ " He adds that even if relationships evolve, "There’s still so much love that can be had."
In Your Dreams, a 2025 American animated film directed by Alex Woo and produced by Kuku Studios and Netflix Animation Studios, features a voice cast including Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Elias Janssen, Simu Liu, Craig Robinson, and Cristin Milioti. With a runtime of 1 hour and 27 minutes, this family comedy adventure fantasy has garnered a rating of 7.1 on TMDB.
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