Before I Wake (2016) Film Review: Dark supernatural fantasy features stellar originality and tender direction

---

With the upcoming UK release of Mike Flanagan's highly anticipated The Life of Chuck (2024) on the horizon, it feels like the perfect time to look back on the director's versatile filmography.

2016's Before I Wake, a Netflix distribution, tells the story of a couple who adopt an orphaned child, whose dreams and nightmares manifest physically in the real world when he sleeps.

This underrated gem exhibits an incredibly creative, original premise, as well as terrific performances all around and an effective blend of creepy psychological horror, fantastical imagery, and heartfelt character drama.

After tragically losing their young son, who drowned in the bathtub, Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark (Thomas Jane) decide to take in a foster child, Cody Morgan (Jacob Tremblay).

On the surface, Cody is a sweet, polite boy who displays solid resilience despite being passed around several foster homes over the years, and the reasons why soon become clear as he harbours the incredible ability to bring his dreams to life. Things become even more complicated and twisted when Jessie develops an unhealthy obsession with reliving the past and interacting with Cody's imagined image of her dead son, Sean (Antonio Romero).

Eight-year-old Cody has a passion for butterflies and their life cycles, which physically manifests in his dreams to the surprise and awe of his adopted parents

The film is rich in its complex, mature themes, mostly revolving around grief, love, and overcoming great loss. One can only try to imagine the emotional ramifications of losing a child, especially one so young, and the movie goes to great lengths to demonstrate how this tragic accident has impacted the couple's marriage and the abuse that eventually arises as a result of the discovery of Cody's powers.

The physical manifestations of his remarkable imagination range from pretty, such as a collection of colourful butterflies appearing all over the living room, to terrifyingly sinister, with a suitably creepy creature design creating a tangible sense of threat in the real world. The film does include the arguably overused horror trope of jump scares; however, the majority are implemented well here, especially regarding the dark subject matter of a child's raw fears coming to life.

The truly disturbing atmosphere of the narrative is derived from the unnatural physical reappearance of the couple's little boy as a result of Jodie coaxing the reluctant Cody to sleep, so that she can interact with her child again. However, the image concocted is false and based only on Cody's depiction of him through a family portrait or watching old video recordings.

There are plenty of creepy moments that get underneath your skin, such as the fake smile on the boy's reincarnated face, as well as the strong implications that Jodie is practically abusing Cody's unique gift to help her cope with her grief. Flanagan demonstrates his natural talent as a writer and director, with well-realised characters and a very clever revelation discovered in the final act (no spoilers!) which serves as a perfect culmination of all of the film's established supernatural/fantasy lore and themes.

The film exhibits a compelling blend of beautiful and nightmarish imagery, which showcases Flanagan's impressive creative imagination

Jacob Tremblay, who was only ten years old at the time, as the troubled Cody, is outstanding in this particularly challenging role for any young actor. One of the most talented up-and-coming performers of his generation and a regular collaborator with Flanagan, who also hired Tremblay to play the spirited Bradley Trevor (otherwise known as 'the baseball boy') who meets a brutal, disturbing end at the hands of the nightmarish True Knot in The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep (2019).

Flanagan also sought out the young star once again to play the teenage version of the titular character in The Life of Chuck. Jacob received plenty of praise for his impressive performance as Brie Larson's young son, Jack, in Room (2015), and he followed that up with an equally natural, believable turn as Cody in today's film.

Both Bosworth and Jane also demonstrate their admirable acting chops with incredibly authentic, raw performances that explore the couple's different experiences of grief and their reactions to discovering Cody's abilities.

Before I Wake features a remarkable child performance from Jacob Tremblay

The only arguable drawback from the film is in relation to how it chooses to wrap up the story. Without giving anything away, the general tone does become a tad confused and muddled once the characters confront and overcome Cody's nightmares. The ending arguably detracts from the movie's character development and comes across as slightly abrupt and not as satisfying as it could have been if it had been written slightly differently.

For some audiences, this may ruin their overall reception of the film; however, there is so much to admire otherwise regarding its production and performance qualities, which shine through despite the divisive wrap-up.

Before I Wake is an excellent addition to Mike Flanagan's eclectic filmography, expertly combining effective thriller and horror tropes with deeply affecting, dramatic storytelling. This truly original, fresh concept allows for plenty of creative visual flair, which is grounded by touching performances and a thought-provoking narrative that successfully leaves a powerful impact on the viewer.

Check out the trailer for Before I Wake (2016) below, and please let me know your thoughts in the comments!