Movie Review: ‘In Your Dreams’

Not everything works here, but the movie has enough imagination to appeal to a wide audience, while handily undercutting any treacly sentiment.

A scene from 'In Your Dreams'. Photo: Netflix.

In theaters on limited release November 7 (and November 14 on Netflix) is ‘In Your Dreams,’ a new animated adventure from first-time feature director Alex Woo.

In Your Dreams

"The adventure of a nighttime."

PGAdventure Fantasy Animation Comedy Family

Audience
Score

Release Date: Nov 7, 2025

Run Time: 1 hr 31 min

Starring: Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Elias Janssen, Simu Liu

The new movie features the voices of Simu Liu (‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’), Cristin Milioti (‘The Penguin’), Craig Robinson (‘This is the End’), Jolie Hoang-Rappaport (‘Watchmen’), Elias Janssen (‘Jane the Virgin’) and Gia Carides (‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’).

Initial Thoughts

You might be more used to hearing about the Sandman –– particularly on Netflix –– via the work of a certain controversial author. But the concept of the mythological figure who can weave dreams has been used in stories for centuries, which also presents something of a challenge when someone wants to use it.

Fortunately in the case of Netflix’s new animated charmer ‘In Your Dreams’, it’s a recipe for wild adventures, silly characters and a storyline that only occasionally dips into treacly sentiment.

Script and Direction

A scene from 'In Your Dreams'. Photo: Netflix © 2025.

Director Alex Woo (‘Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher’) and co-director Erik Benson (‘Toy Story 4’) worked alongside Stanley Moore (‘Finding Dory’) and Rita Hsiao (‘Mulan’) to crack the story before the two main filmmakers wrote the script.

While it runs on some fairly predictable lines –– tensions between siblings, potential family ruptures as successful mother and slacker musician father face a crossroads –– ‘In Your Dreams’ still manages to find new things to say on the subjects.

The highlights, though, are certainly the surrealistic worlds within dreams and the characters lurking within, including talking breakfast food, a nightmarish threat and one very talkative stuffed toy.

Woo and Benson shake off an initially odd-looking facial structure for the human characters in an introductory flashback, fashioning appealing leads and even tapping into anime for one effective moment of the kids realizing their powers within the dreamscape.

Cast and Performances

Hoang-Rappaport and Janssen do solid work as the leads, and you’re happy to follow them along this journey. While Liu and Milioti naturally have less to do (until later in the movie), they’re both good.

Robinson’s giraffe-like Baloney Tony (a toy from the real world who finds his voice in dreams) is the stand-out: a funny, sometimes cowardly type who comes through in the end.

Final Thoughts

A scene from 'In Your Dreams'. Photo: Netflix.

‘In Your Dreams’ won’t be challenging the best family movies any time soon, but it’s cute and diverting, full of enjoyable imagery and worth checking out if the kids have watched ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ once too often.

‘In Your Dreams’ receives 75 out of 100.

'In Your Dreams' will be available on November 14th. Photo: Netflix © 2025.

What’s the story of ‘In Your Dreams’?

Stevie and her brother Elliot journey into the absurd landscape of their own dreams, and if the siblings can withstand a snarky stuffed giraffe, zombie breakfast foods, and the queen of nightmares, the Sandman will grant them their ultimate dream come true... The perfect family.