Before I Wake

Before I Wake

Starring Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane, Jacob Tremblay, Annabeth Gish

Directed by Mike Flanagan

The Story:
After losing their son to a tragic accident, young couple Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark (Thomas Jane) adopt young Cody (Jacob Tremblay), a kid with a special gift - he can manifest his dreams in real life.  It starts off with colorful butterflies appearing in their living room, but soon Jessie starts showing Cody pictures of her dead child, and he dreams of him, making him appear before the still-grieving couple.

Despite being able to see their son again, what they really see is Cody's perception of him.  Still, it gives Jessie comfort in holding her son again, despite Mark's pleas for her to give it up and let him go for both their sakes.  Plus, even though Cody's dreams are often peaceful, he's haunted by a nightmarish creature he calls The Canker Man who haunts him, appearing in person and threatening the lives of Cody, Mark, and Jessie.

The Synopsis:
I remember a few years ago sitting in a theater waiting for a film to start (surprisingly, I can't remember what film it was), and I saw a trailer for "Before I Wake," and thought that this looked like an interesting movie.  Then, as the years went on, I totally forgot about it.  However, Netflix announced its lineup and it included "Before I Wake," and I remembered it as the movie trailer I had seen years earlier.  Apparently, the film was supposed to be released in 2015, but the production company went out of business, leading to it being shelved indefinitely.  It wasn't until Netflix bought the rights in 2018 did it finally see the light of day, and while it was more than just a typical horror movie, it essentially became a shell of itself, resulting in it being just an average film that could've been so much better.


Mike Flanagan has directed some spectacular horror films like "Oculus," "Gerald's Game," "Absentia," "Hush," and "Ouija: Origin of Evil," and you can see his hints of brilliance in "Before I Wake" as well.  It's not a typical horror film where jump scares happen every thirty seconds, but rather it's a heavily dramatic piece masquerading as a horror film, sprinkled with hints of fantasy.  At its core, it's a deeply emotional story of dealing with loss, a film that takes off with grandeur but suffers a rough landing.

Kate Bosworth stars as Jessie, a woman who's haunted by the death of her young child, and struggling to live life without him.  She hardly sleeps, and has lost interest in pretty much everything she once enjoyed.  Her husband, played by the dutiful Thomas Jane, is there for moral support but ultimately is relegated to the background as the film focuses on Bosworth and Tremblay's troubled characters.

Speaking of Tremblay, young Jacob Tremblay is a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood, appearing in the critically acclaimed "Room" as well as a starring role in "Wonder," and here he once again gives the aura of innocence and youthful optimism, but also showcasing typical childhood fears.  He loves butterflies, and doesn't want to sleep - he takes caffeine pills and chugs sugar-filled drinks in order to keep awake - because he fears the Canker Man.

It's a very interesting contrast to see Jessie and Cody going at it.  Jessie more or less uses Cody so she can see her dead son, treating him as a vessel to achieve that goal instead of being the surrogate mother she's supposed to be.  You can't tell if Jessie actually loves Cody, or loves what he can do for her.  To that end, even though you feel for Jessie's pain, you feel a sense of resentment for her in using this young child in that way.  On the other side, Cody is haunted by the Canker Man - who looks absolutely terrifying in amazing CGI style - but as it is with a child's fears, it could sometimes be proven to be something totally different.  When we find out the real story behind the Canker Man, it opens a whole new depth of emotion that Flanagan delivers with careful precision.

Still, despite all of this, the film has a generic value to it that makes you feel a bit lackluster after seeing it.  Like if the film had done a little something more, it could've been a groundbreaking piece of work, but as it was, it was merely another exercise in dramatic storytelling with a horror motif.  Which is unfortunate, because the film had all the hallmarks of being something greater than the sum of its parts.

The Summary:
A heavy drama piece masked behind horror, "Before I Wake" offers standout performances and a deeply moving story, but failed to leave a lasting effect on the viewer due to something missing in the final ingredients.

The Score: B+