A new partnership between Netflix and Sony Pictures Imageworks is producing a different kind of family film. “In Your Dreams,” an adventure-comedy opening this Friday, is directed by Pixar veteran Alex Woo and features a star-studded cast, but its subject matter—family conflict—is what sets it apart.
The film centers on siblings Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and Elliot (Elias Janssen), who are trying to save their parents’ (Simu Liu and Cristin Milioti) failing marriage. Their solution is a magical one: find The Sandman, who they believe can “fix” their family. This quest is joined by a stuffed animal voiced by Craig Robinson.
This realistic premise immediately hooked ‘Shang-Chi’ star Simu Liu. He was “fascinated” by the chance to show a “real family that argues,” stating that the “always happy” family trope is “not true.” He argued that “it’s important that kids have imagery of families that aren’t perfect.”
Cristin Milioti, an Emmy and Grammy winner, plays the Mom. She highlighted a duet with Liu as a “beautiful moment” that shows the strained couple in harmony, providing a powerful, emotional anchor for the children’s journey.
The film’s message is a mature one. Stevie, the young hero, must grapple with the “discovery that there is no magic solution to real-life problems.” “In Your Dreams” proves that a family film can be both wildly imaginative and deeply, refreshingly honest.