Before I Wake

I applaud the screenwriter for making this a horror film without any of the traditional horror tropes. Yes, there are a few jumpscares, but it doesn't rely too heavily on them. The story took a direction during the last 20 minutes that I didn't see coming. It didn't end the way I thought it would and the way it did end, ended up being very creative, and somewhat bittersweet. Some of the acting can be a bit wooden at times, but that's only from the adults. The child actor was the only one who ended up sounding genuine the whole time (go figure). The effects could have been a bit better, and until the end I thought the monsters looked silly, and not scary but by the end I forgave that because there's actually a reason for it, which I won't dare spoil. This film hearkens back to the old days of M. Night Shamalayn (specifically 'The Sixth Sense') and at times reminded me a bit of the 'Doctor Who' episode "Night Terrors" which is one of my favorites. Definitely worth checking out on Netflix.
Grade: B    8/10    4/5 stars