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In Dreams (1998)
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Reviews Counted:49
Fresh:11
Rotten:38
Average Rating:4.6/10
Consensus: Some interesting visuals, but the movie is as confusing as a dream.
Runtime: 2 hrs 40 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: This darkly imaginative film from director Neil Jordan (THE CRYING GAME, INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE) follows Claire, a psychic New England housewife (Annette Bening) who loses her grip on reality... This darkly imaginative film from director Neil Jordan (THE CRYING GAME, INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE) follows Claire, a psychic New England housewife (Annette Bening) who loses her grip on reality when her dreams connect with those of a psychotic child murderer (Robert Downey Jr.). Centered around a ghost town submerged in the local reservoir and a creepy apple orchard, Claire's disturbing visions baffle the police and eventually lead to her confinement in an insane asylum. As the killer's fantasies continue to haunt her, Claire realizes she must succumb to her link with his twisted psyche if she is to escape from the hospital, track him down, and put an end to the madness. Jordan's direction captures his heroine's horrific nightmares and the autumnal New England locales brilliantly, while Bening attacks her role with ferocious gusto. The film's uniquely rich, color-saturated look comes courtesy of cinematographer Darius Khondji. Jordan wrote the screenplay with Bruce Robinson (WITHNAIL & I), adapted from the novel DOLL'S EYES by Bari Wood, and longtime Jordan collaborator Stephen Rea costars as Claire's doubtful psychiatrist. [More]
Starring: Annette Bening, Robert Downey, Stephen Rea, Aidan Quinn
Starring: Annette Bening, Robert Downey, Stephen Rea, Aidan Quinn, Paul Guilfoyle
Director: Neil Jordan
Director: Neil Jordan
Screenwriter: Bruce Robinson, Neil Jordan
Producer: Stephen Woolley
Composer: Elliot Goldenthal
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Reviews for In Dreams
So viscerally stimulating, interesting, & well-performed on the part of Annette Bening, & then it still fell right out of my head.
The best Jordan can muster after some early, genuine thrills is a few spooky underwater scenes and some close-ups of graphic violence.
The movie's sanguinary suspense should keep horror fans happily howling; others may watch portions through their fingers.
The film's intellectual theme, if I can loosely use the word intellectual, is a reversal of the "Snow White" theme.
One of the most consistently disturbing, surprising, and visually beautiful motion pictures I have seen this decade.
For all the movie's extravagances--and it must be admitted that Darius Khondji's cinematography is gloriously extravagant--it just isn't all that frightening.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
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