2022

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2022 film Slumberland.

Story

A fantastic concept played surprisingly straight. I’m really glad they avoided the “you must be crazy” talk about her dreams. The pacing and story structure was great, albeit a little slow in the beginning.

The movie’s twist was important, but supported the emotions and didn’t feel cheap.

Score: 1

Characters

The characters felt well-developed and surprisingly deep considering the sparse details on backstory.

I didn’t like the pickpocket scene at the end. It felt out of character for both versions of that character. It was played for laughs and meant to seem flirty, but came off disrespectful and creepy.

There’s a lot that the characters don’t share and that either didn’t make sense or was played fast and loose. If it wasn’t for how well the actors emoted, the dialogue and story would have seemed flippant and undercooked.

The pig was awesome.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

Lots of great dialogue and lots of awkward moments and phrasing. The strange pattern and beats of the dialogue enhanced the surreal quality of the film. It’s one of those movies who’s dialogue is just a little off and almost feels poetic but is just simplistic.

Score: 0.5

Visuals and Music

Utterly beautiful and wonderful. The film is a spectacle that does a great job at showing the variety and breadth of dreams while still having a unique style.

The music was good and worked perfectly. I liked the repeated motif of the piano song she played with her father.

Score: 1

Fun

Other than the slow parts at the start, the movie is exciting and fascinating. The entire family was enthralled. The raw emotions hit the adults more though. I can see this becoming a comfort crying movie.

Score: 1

Overall

A fantastic trip into dreams. What it lacks in coherence and dialogue, it makes up in emotion, visuals, and spectacular acting.

Final Score: 4 Stars out of 5