Netflix-produced animated movies have had an amazing track record on the streaming service. With KPop Demon Hunters becoming their most-watched film of all time and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, the studio has proven to make extremely worthwhile animated projects. In Your Dreams hopes to be the next great animated film in Netflix’s library, one that uses dreams to cope with familial conflict.

The film follows siblings Stevie and Elliot, voiced by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport and Elias Janssen, as they unknowingly discover and travel to the world of dreams after stealing a spellbook from the library. In the dream world, the two set out to find the Sandman, a mystical being who can grant their wish to save their parents’ marriage. From tornadoes to living food attacking them, the two must learn to face their nightmares if their wishes are to be granted.

The film feels like a Pixar lite in terms of overall execution. The basic setup and themes depicted almost feel as if they were ripped straight from Pixar’s vast catalogue of family-driven, emotional dramas like Inside Out or Soul. There are also elements of Hayao Miyazaki’s films, like Spirited Away, in the way they portray the dream world. The dream world has a whimsical quality that perfectly represents a child’s mind. Although the script may be a little too inspired by other films, it still worked for the themes the film attempted to explore.

The beginning takes its time setting up the core plot, but beautifully builds the relationship between Stevie and Elliot. Not only do Jolie Hoang-Rappaport and Elias Janssen deliver excellent performances, but their chemistry together produces some of the film’s most hilarious and heartfelt moments. Unlike many films centered on children, the kids actually act like kids, making many mistakes on their spiritual journey and simply having the humor and wit of children. Too often, child protagonists have an adult mindset, but luckily, In Your Dreams grounds how children, especially young siblings, would act in the characters’ situation.

Animated films very rarely tackle divorce, especially in mainstream ones, making In Your Dreams stand out in its category. Not only is it admirable to see an animated film tackle this subject, but its sincerity makes for a far more moving experience than one would anticipate. The film skillfully depicts the parents’ struggle to maintain their relationship solely through the children’s eyes, allowing the viewer to experience the events as the children do. The film’s optimistic ending slightly diminishes the emotional impact, but the overall execution of parental conflict through a child’s eyes is extremely well done.

Easily one of the film’s most entertaining, yet frustrating sequences is a montage of Stevie and Elliot attempting to fight through their nightmares. The different environments and depictions of common nightmares made for many funny and clever moments, but they are sadly reduced to a couple of seconds per nightmare. Instead of using the nightmares as a means for the filmmakers to creatively express themselves, they are drastically reduced to push the film to the next scene, which was disappointing, as these sequences were the film’s stylistic peak.

The way the film resolves its conflict plays exactly as one would expect, but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Seeing Stevie and Elliot learn what their dreams represent and the value of family and happiness through each other made for many enriching sequences in the film’s climax. Even if it plays it by the book, by the end of the film, it makes the audience want to hold their sibling close knowing that things are going to be okay.

In Your Dreams may not be reinventing the wheel, but it has a strong enough story that kids and adults can enjoy. Seeing a film delve into serious subject matter for a film targeted toward children is great, and Netflix should keep this in mind for future projects. It may not be the next smash hit success as KPop Demon Hunters or the critical success of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, but it has enough substance to warrant a feature-length.

In Your Dreams is in select theaters now, and will be available to stream on Netflix November 14.

Rating: 6/10

Oscar Prospects:

Best Animated Feature.