Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- nightmarish
- surreal
- foreboding
- late night horror viewing
- psychological thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics generally agreed that the film's lush, surreal cinematography and Annette Bening's intense performance could not overcome its confusing, contrived, and schlocky thriller narrative.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Claire's visions reveal the kidnapper and foreshadow threats to her family.
The underwater sequences and surreal dream imagery are central to the film's atmosphere.
Claire's family life is violated when her dreams connect her directly to the serial killer.
Claire is sent to a mental institution and discovers the killer was interned there as well.
Films like In Dreams, and why
A Nightmare on Elm Street
dream-linked serial-killer horror, psychological distress, and supernatural investigation
The Cell
surreal psychological horror, vulnerable protagonists, and visually heightened nightmare imagery
The Mothman Prophecies
female-centered supernatural thriller driven by visions, trauma, and an elusive killer
Movie Details
- Director
- Neil Jordan
- Release Date
- 1999-01-15
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (205)
Cast
- Annette Bening
- Aidan Quinn
- Stephen Rea
- Robert Downey Jr.
- Paul Guilfoyle
- Dennis Boutsikaris
- Krystal Benn
- Lonnie Farmer
- Margo Martindale
- Pamela Payton-Wright
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is In Dreams about?
- A grieving mother’s prophetic dreams draw her into a nightmarish psychic bond with the serial killer threatening her family.
- What is In Dreams like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of In Dreams as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is In Dreams violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in In Dreams as brutal.
- What did critics think of In Dreams?
- Critics generally agreed that the film's lush, surreal cinematography and Annette Bening's intense performance could not overcome its confusing, contrived, and schlocky thriller narrative.
- Which films are like In Dreams?
- Films with a similar feel include A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Cell, and The Mothman Prophecies.
- How long is In Dreams?
- In Dreams runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch In Dreams?
- In United States, In Dreams is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
