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In Dreams (1998)
Tomatometer
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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
Reviews for In Dreams
In dreams, this film would be a chilling exercise in psychological horror; in reality, it's a fascinating folly.
Jordan drops his common sense so consistently here that much of In Dreams is fascinating.
Ambitious but ultimately incoherent and frustrating tale that may be too cerebral for the horror genre crowds and too literal-minded for the genre's more intelligent viewers; lush visual style compensates only up to a point.
Someday, Annette Bening is going to star in a movie that's as interesting and powerful as she can be as an actress.
Pretty much falls into the bin with the many other serial killer movies made recently.
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