US horror fans have had a frustratingly long wait to see Mike Flanagan’s dreamland horror Before I Wake, with various releases promised, rumoured and delayed multiple times. Finally however, the film will reach our stateside friends through the virtual aisles of Netflix.
The delay in the North American release was due to complications around the bankruptcy of rights holders Relativity, although the film – which was shot in 2013 – saw release outside of the US including here in the UK, where it has been available on Netflix for a good while now.
Flanagan – the acclaimed director of Oculus, Hush and Gerald’s Game – also co-wrote the film with regular collaborator Jeff Howard. Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane and Jacob Tremblay star.
Synopsis:
Jessie and Mark, recovering from the death of their young son Sean, decide to take in 8-year-old Cody as a foster child. Cody seems sweet, loving and bright in every way, except that he is afraid to sleep. They soon discover why: Cody’s dreams manifest in reality as he sleeps. In Jessie’s grief, she tries to use Cody’s supernatural abilities to reconnect with her dead son. Soon she discovers that Cody’s nightmares manifest as well, as they experience both the intense wonder – and intense terror – that only a child’s imagination could conjure. To save their new family, Jessie and Mark must uncover the truth behind Cody’s nightmares.
Before I Wake hits US Netflix on January 5th. The wait is (almost) over.
Words: Kevan Farrow (@KevanX)
