The Horror Show
Before I Wake
by Mike Flanagan
There’s an unintentional tribute to Mike Flanagan on this round of our horror reviews, but that’s only because the American director gave us two rather noteworthy horror movies within a short period of time. As I covered Hush, I felt that we should also talk about Before I Wake, a much-anticipated supernatural thriller with intriguing cast choices.
Kate Bosworth is not new to the horror genre, as we’ve already admired her performance in Straw Dogs, however, it’s the first time we see her haunted and terrorized by demonic manifestations.
Having experimented with several subgenres, Flanagan’s Before I Wake focuses on the paranormal realm, where the dreams of a troubled young child come to life only to haunt and torment those around him.
More specifically, the story follows Jesse (Kate Bosworth) and Mark (Thomas Jane), a fragile and fractured couple trying to cope with the tragic death of their son. As group therapy sessions don’t seem to do the trick, the couple decides to foster Cody (Jacob Tremblay), an eight-year-old who has already been sent back to the orphanage by three sets of foster parents.
Soon after he is brought home, it becomes clear that Cody has a very unique and rather creepy gift/curse. Whatever he dreams about while sleeping comes to life and, unfortunately, his dreams are beyond innocent or childish. In fact, Cody suffers from recurring nightmares, all about the same skeleton-like figure that torments his mind. This rather ridiculous-looking demon haunts Cody’s dreams and everybody else’s real life, so it’s only a matter of time before this boogeyman terrorizes his new family.
Flanagan puts several challenging ideas on the table, from dealing with loss to parental love, however, he fails to deliver a scary outcome, as the terror factor seems to be neglected and is limited to the run-of-the-mill bag of tricks: ghosts under the bed, the vaguely threatening use of staircases, dark rooms etc.
However, Flanagan, with the help of cinematographer Michael Fimognari, managed to create a moody atmosphere, backed by eerie scenes that take place in dark and quiet surroundings, evoking a foreboding sense of horror. Unfortunately, isn’t enough to save this thriller from its very limited shelf life.
Maria Kriva, HMS
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