“In Your Dreams” is a bright, heartfelt, and surprisingly grounded animated adventure that blends absurd fantasy logic with some very real emotional territory. While it’s packaged as a comedy for kids, it also deals directly with the messy, frightening experience of watching your family start to fall apart. That balance is what makes the film feel both unique and sincere, and it’s definitely refreshing when compared to most family movies.
The story follows Stevie (voice of Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and her younger brother Elliot (Elias Janssen), two kids convinced that their parents’ (voices of Simu Liu and Cristin Milioti) looming divorce can be prevented if only they can convince the Sandman (voice of Omid Djalili) to grant them their dream of a perfect family. Their quest takes them into a fully realized dreamscape filled with candy-colored vistas, nightmare worlds, and bizarre characters, including a snarky stuffed giraffe (voice of Craig Robinson) and zombie breakfast foods.
What grounds the movie is the relationship between Stevie and Elliot. Their bond feels real and lived-in, full of warmth, bickering, tenderness, and that unmistakable dynamic of an older sibling trying to be strong for a younger one. Their connection becomes the emotional anchor amid all the surreal interludes, reminding audiences that even in dreams, you don’t face your monsters alone. (Yeah, there is a lot of depth to the story here).
The film also leans into the idea of accepting imperfect reality over idealized fantasies. Stevie and Elliot’s attempt to “fix” their parents’ marriage through magic highlights how kids often interpret grown-up problems in incomplete and often naive ways. The film never talks down to its audience, but gently guides them toward the realization that escaping into a perfect dream isn’t the same as healing in the real world. It’s ultimately about embracing the messiness of life rather than chasing nostalgic or idealized versions of it. All of this is expressed incredibly well in language that even younger kids can understand (and even if they don’t fully absorb the heavier themes, they’ll still be howling at Baloney Tony and his laser farts).
The animation is crisp, energetic, and imaginative, with each dream sequence reflecting the siblings’ fears, wishes, and misunderstandings. It’s fun and thoughtful at the same time, ushering in a bold and different type of animated adventure.
Vibrant, funny, and unexpectedly touching, “In Your Dreams” is a modern adventure that feels completely relatable. It’s a rare movie for kids that dares to acknowledge complex family emotions while still delivering a colorful and comedic good time.
