The newest animated release from Netflix, In Your Dreams, sets out with an ambitious goal: fill the gap left by the golden era of Pixar Animation Studios originals. As the review in The Guardian notes, while it doesn’t fully rise to that level, it nevertheless offers an engaging, emotionally honest journey.
From the outset, we’re introduced to siblings Stevie and Elliot. Their family life has become fractured, and Stevie’s once sweet dreams have turned sour. When a mysterious book about the Sandman surfaces, the children embark on a fantastical trip into the realm of dreams to restore harmony at home and within themselves. wears its influences plainly. The aesthetic, the sibling-bond focus and the dream-state world all echo best-known Pixar titles such as Inside Out and Coco. The film’s writer-director, Alex Woo, previously worked as a story artist at Pixar (on titles including Ratatouille and WALL‑E), which helps explain the similarity in tone and structure
Where the film succeeds:
- The sibling dynamic brings a welcome freshness — it’s not the usual parent-child narrative.
- It tackles the emotional terrain of dreams and nightmares with enough subtlety to engage older kids and parents alike.
- For a streaming animated feature, it offers more texture and ambition than many of its peers.
Where it falls short:
- The humour falls flat more often than not; the sidekick character, a living stuffed toy voiced by Craig Robinson, lacks genuine comic spark.
- The runtime (just under 80 minutes) and derivative structure make it feel lightweight — enjoyable in the moment but unlikely to linger.
- The film occasionally struggles to balance innovation with familiarity — the feel of “Pixar-lite” is ever-present.
Final Take
In Your Dreams won’t redefine animated storytelling or dethrone Pixar classics. But it’s a solid choice for a family streaming night: heartfelt, colourful and emotionally grounded. If you’re looking for something more than generic cartoon fare and less ambitious than a major theatrical event, this one fits the bill. Ultimately, it’s “a dream you’ll forget as soon as you open your eyes.”
It’s now showing in select cinemas and will arrive on Netflix on 14 November. The Guardian
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