Dream On: Exploring Family and Fantasy in “In Your Dreams

When a film blends laugh-out-loud comedy with spectacular fantasy, you know you’re in for something special, and that’s exactly what Kuku Studios’ latest feature, In Your Dreams, delivers. Moderated by Kevin Polowy, the recent roundtable brought together the fiercely talented ensemble behind this eye-popping adventure: Craig Robinson as the snarky Baloney Tony; Simu Liu as the protective Dad; Cristin Milioti as the ever-loving Mom; Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as the fearless Stevie; Elias Janssen as her wide-eyed brother, Elliot; and Gia Carides as the menacing Nightmara. At the helm of this dream-weaving journey is Alex Woo, who serves as director, screenwriter, and creator.

In Your Dreams follows siblings Stevie and Elliot as they plunge into the wild, unpredictable realm of their own slumber. From taunting stuffed giraffes to zombie breakfast feasts and the iron-fisted rule of the queen of nightmares, the duo must rely on wit, courage, and each other if they hope to win the Sandman’s favor and the perfect family they’ve always longed for.

For Alex Woo, the film’s roots trace back a decade to the founding of Kuku Studios. “We were a tiny team of three imagining stories we wanted to see in the world,” he explains, and the mystery of dreams naturally captured their collective imagination. “Why do we have dreams? Where do they come from? What do they tell us about ourselves? Making this movie gave me the chance to explore those questions in the most fun and fantastical ways I could imagine.”

Yet despite its dazzling visuals and out-of-this-world characters, at its core In Your Dreams is a deeply emotional story of two siblings navigating life’s uncertainties. Woo shares that his inspiration sprang from a chilly morning in Minnesota when, at age six, he awoke to find his mother packing her bags. “That alarm of reality was the first time I understood life isn’t perfect,” he recalls. In response, he and his brother cooked up one harebrained scheme after another to “save” their family—failures that nonetheless forged an unbreakable bond and eventually led to a renewed sense of hope.

“I made this movie believing that the best way through is with an open heart,” Woo says. “Sometimes we have to let go of what we dream life should be, and hold on to life as it actually is.” As In Your Dreams readies for its wide release, Woo hopes it not only inspires audiences to dream big but also to celebrate the beauty in life’s messiest moments. After all, even amid chaos, there’s wonder waiting just beyond the next blink of sleep.

Social

#InYourDreams

@Netflix

@NetflixFilm