In Your Dreams

In Your Dreams

Year: 2025

Runtime: 1 h 30 m

Language: english

Director: Alexander Woo

Echo Score: 82
AnimationAdventureComedyFamilyFantasy

Stevie and her brother Elliot are thrust into a wildly surreal realm crafted from their own dreams. Along the way they must outwit a sarcastic stuffed giraffe, survive a breakfast of zombified food, and confront the terrifying queen of nightmares. If they endure these trials, the Sandman promises to fulfill their deepest wish: the perfect family.

Whimsical
Bittersweet ending
Moderately emotional
Medium intensity
Fast pacing
Moderate complexity

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – In Your Dreams (2025)

Explore the full timeline and setting of In Your Dreams (2025). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Present day

Set in contemporary times, the film captures modern family life, where career pressures and relocation add stress. The dream sequences contrast with the real world, offering an escape that forces the siblings to confront their family dynamics.

Location

Home, Duluth, Dream World

The real world centers on a family home under strain as the parents argue about the future. The family contemplates a move to Duluth for Mom’s stable teaching job, while Dad clings to his dream of being a musician. In the dream world, Stevie and Elliot navigate surreal landscapes that echo their fears and desires, including a living Breakfast Town and the looming threat of the Sandman.

🏡 Domestic 🌆 Modern 🌌 Fantasy

Last Updated: December 04, 2025 at 15:22

Main Characters – In Your Dreams (2025)

Meet the key characters of In Your Dreams (2025), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport)

A 12-year-old perfectionist who tries to keep her chaotic home from falling apart. She discovers she can lucid dream when she and Elliot hold hands, giving them control in the dream world. Her journey is about learning to value imperfect family life over a flawless fantasy. Through the dream quest, she recognizes that embracing messiness can be essential to growing up.

👧 Determined

Elliot (Elias Janssen)

A younger sibling with big dreams of magic; he brings chaos but also humor into their lives. He partners with Nightmara to resist the Sandman’s temptation, showing loyalty to his sister. His courage grows as he confronts reality and helps orchestrate their escape from the dream trap. He learns that family ties are stronger than any magical wish.

🪄 Imaginative

Sandman (Omid Djalili)

A seemingly benevolent figure who is revealed to be the antagonist that feeds on dream energy. He traps dreamers with endless fantasies that erase their real lives, including Stevie’s. His castle stands as the central obstacle in the dream realm, testing the siblings' resolve. His deception drives the story’s message about choosing reality over escapism.

😈 Antagonist

Nightmara (Gia Carides)

The queen of nightmares who initially terrifies the children but is revealed as a tough-love mentor who wakes kids to their real problems. She guides Elliot and helps Stevie see that growth comes from confronting issues rather than avoiding them. Her role reframes nightmares as a tool for awakening.

🌙 Mentor

Baloney Tony (Craig Robinson)

Elliot’s smelly, wisecracking stuffed giraffe that comes to life in the dream world. He serves as comic relief and a loyal companion during the trio’s surreal journey. Tony offers blunt wisdom and helps the kids navigate dream landscapes like Breakfast Town.

🧸 Sidekick

Mom (Cristin Milioti)

Mom wants to move to Duluth for a stable teaching job, highlighting the pressure on the family to settle down. She represents practicality and care for the kids, balancing out Dad’s artistic dreams. Her arc centers on finding a middle ground between ambition and family stability.

👩 Caregiver

Dad (Simu Liu)

Dad hopes to stay and chase his rock musician dream, embodying passion and risk. He wrestles with the family conflict but ultimately agrees to move to Duluth, supporting his kids while continuing his music in a new city. His decision shows a willingness to adapt and rebuild a life with his family.

👨 Musician

Last Updated: December 04, 2025 at 15:22

Major Themes – In Your Dreams (2025)

Explore the central themes of In Your Dreams (2025), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🏡 Family Change

Parental conflict over moving and the possibility of divorce drives the plot, while Stevie and Elliot cling to an idealized version of family life. The dream quest acts as a test of loyalty and resilience as the siblings try to preserve their family unit. The ending shows that stability comes from choosing a real, imperfect life over a flawless fantasy.

🌙 Dream vs Reality

The dream realm offers control and wonder, but is revealed to be a trap when the Sandman promises a perfect life. The siblings learn that power in dreams comes with responsibility and that waking up is essential to facing real problems. Nightmara's role reframes nightmares as a wake-up call rather than just fear.

🌱 Growth and Acceptance

Stevie and Elliot learn that imperfect life can be meaningful and that love for family outweighs the lure of a perfect world. Their choices culminate in a move to Duluth and a new family balance that honors both parents’ dreams and the kids' needs. The film advocates resilience, adaptation, and embracing messiness as part of growing up.

Last Updated: December 04, 2025 at 15:22

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Surreal Dream Adventures like In Your Dreams

Fantastical odysseys through inner worlds that mirror real-life family struggles.Find more movies like In Your Dreams where characters embark on whimsical quests through surreal dream worlds. These animated and family-friendly fantasy films use imaginative visuals to tackle heartfelt themes of self-acceptance and family dynamics, blending playful adventure with emotional depth.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a protagonist, often a child, entering a fantastical realm that directly reflects their subconscious fears and desires. The challenges they face in this world—surreal creatures, shifting landscapes, and symbolic obstacles—parallel their real-world emotional conflicts, leading to a resolution that brings personal growth and a new understanding of their reality.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread are grouped by their unique blend of high-concept fantasy and grounded emotional themes. They share a whimsical tone, fast-paced adventure through surreal settings, and a central focus on using metaphor to explore complex feelings like anxiety, hope, and the longing for family connection.

Bittersweet Family Fantasies like In Your Dreams

Hopeful children's adventures that end with realistic, emotionally resonant compromises.If you liked the heartfelt balance of fantasy and family reality in In Your Dreams, explore these similar films. This thread features kids' adventures where the magical journey leads to a bittersweet but hopeful ending, emphasizing emotional truth and compromise over simple solutions.

heartfelthopefulbittersweetadventurousfamily-focusedemotionalchild-perspectiveresilient

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows children who use fantasy or adventure as a coping mechanism for a difficult family situation, such as divorce or conflict. The journey provides them with agency and perspective, but the climax acknowledges that some problems can't be magically solved. The victory is in their emotional resilience and the strengthened bonds of their imperfect family.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their specific emotional recipe: a medium emotional weight derived from real-world issues, a fast-paced and whimsical adventure tone to engage younger audiences, and a commitment to a bittersweet ending that feels authentic and validating rather than simplistically happy.

Unlock the Full Story of In Your Dreams

Don't stop at just watching — explore In Your Dreams in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what In Your Dreams is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

In Your Dreams Summary

Read a complete plot summary of In Your Dreams, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

In Your Dreams Summary

In Your Dreams Timeline

Track the full timeline of In Your Dreams with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

In Your Dreams Timeline

In Your Dreams Ending Explained

What really happened at the end of In Your Dreams? This detailed ending explained page breaks down final scenes, hidden clues, and alternate interpretations with expert analysis and viewer theories.

In Your Dreams Ending Explained

In Your Dreams Spoiler-Free Summary

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In Your Dreams Spoiler-Free Summary

More About In Your Dreams

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about In Your Dreams: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

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In Your Dreams (2025) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

In Your Dreams (2025) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

In Your Dreams (2025) Ending Explained & Theories

In Your Dreams (2025) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow