| In Your Dreams | |
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 Release poster | |
| Directed by | Alex Woo |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by |
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| Produced by |
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| Edited by |
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| Music by | John Debney |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Netflix |
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Running time | 91 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
In Your Dreams is a 2025 American animatedadventure comedy film directed byAlex Woo, and co-directed by Erik Benson from a script by Woo and Benson and a story by Woo, Benson, and Stanley Moore. The film starsCraig Robinson,Simu Liu,Cristin Milioti, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Elias Janssen,Gia Carides,Omid Djalili, andSungWon Cho. Produced byNetflix Animation Studios and Kuku Studios, it had alimited theatrical release on November 7, 2025, before its release onNetflix on November 14, 2025.[2] The film received generally positive reviews from critics.
Stevie is a 12-year-old perfectionist who struggles with the chaos of her younger brother, Elliot, an aspiring magician. Their family life, once happy, is crumbling. Their parents are constantly arguing over their future: Mom wants to move the family toDuluth for a stable teaching job, while Dad wants to stay put and continue pursuing his dream of being arock musician.
Desperate to stop the divorce and keep everything the way it was, Stevie and Elliot discover a mysterious book calledThe Legend of theSandman at the thrift store Shiver Me Thrifters while avoiding its worker Joon Bae. The book claims that if they can find the Sandman in thedream world, he will grant their ultimate wish. They perform a ritual and fall asleep, entering the dream world together.
In the dream world, the siblings discover they are "Lucid Dreamers"—they can control aspects of the world as long as they hold hands and focus. They are joined by Elliot's smelly, wisecracking stuffedgiraffe Baloney Tony who comes to life and who Elliot later finds behind the refrigerator in the waking world. To reach the Sandman, they must traverse surreal landscapes derived from their own subconscious, such as "Breakfast Town" where food is alive and absurd nightmares involving teeth falling out or giant pop quizzes. Throughout the journey, they are hunted by Nightmara: Queen of Nightmares who tries to wake them up to force them back to reality.
The siblings eventually reach the Sandman’s castle, hoping that he will cast their wish where their parents will not move away to Duluth. However, unlike the benevolent figure they expected, the Sandman traps dreamers by offering them a "perfect" fantasy life that never ends, keeping them asleep forever so he can feed on their dreams. He offers Stevie a simulation of her life where her parents are happy and—crucially—where her brother Elliot never existed.
Stevie is initially seduced by this perfect world, leaving her physical body comatose in the real world. Elliot resists the Sandman's temptation and teams up with Nightmara. It is revealed that Nightmara is actually a "tough love" mentor who originally got along with the Sandman as her role is not to scare kids for fun, but to wake them up so they can face their real-life problems and grow.
Elliot breaks into Stevie’s fantasy to save her. Stevie realizes that a "perfect" world without her brother feels wrong and empty. She rejects the Sandman's illusion, choosing the messy, imperfect reality over a fake paradise. Together, they use their lucid dreaming powers to defeat the Sandman and escape.
The family agrees to move to Duluth so Mom can take the job, but Dad compromises by agreeing to start a new band there. The parents are still working through their issues, but they are united in their love for the kids. Stevie accepts that life and her brother will always be a little chaotic and she learns to embrace the imperfection rather than trying to control everything as the family relocates to Duluth, though the moving truck that Michael was on opens up, their stuff falling out.
In the mid-credits after the Tings drive off following the moving truck incident, Joon on his hoverboard findsThe Legend of the Sandman book on the street while en route to his Polly's Pizzeria gig and throws it into a nearby garbage can before riding off.
Additional voices byBob Bergen, Alex Cazares,SungWon Cho, Hunter Clayton Dixon, David Errigo Jr., Kellen Goff,Matthew Yang King,Cristin Milioti,Tara Strong, and Miriam Wallen
In April 2023, it was revealed that Erik Benson and Alex Woo would write the screenplay for the animated filmIn Your Dreams, whichNetflix Animation would produce.Sony Pictures Imageworks would handle the animation. The studio selected Benson as co-director and Woo as the creative lead for the movie.[3] In June 2024, it was announced that Woo wrote the story with Stanley Moore.[4]
In June 2024,Simu Liu andCraig Robinson were announced as part of the cast.[4] In March 2025, it was revealed thatCristin Milioti, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Elias Janssen,Gia Carides,Omid Djalili,SungWon Cho, and Zachary Noah Piser had joined the cast, with the animation well underway.[5]
In June 2024, it was announced thatJohn Debney would compose the film's score.[6]
In Your Dreams had a limited theatrical release on November 7, 2025 in selectAMC,Cinemark,Regal and other venues.[7] It was released onNetflix on November 14.[8]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 86% of 68 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Harkening back to other classic animated adventures,In Your Dreams adds imaginative flourishes to a familiar framework and delivers big-hearted family entertainment."[9]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[10]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | December 31, 2025 | Best Animated Feature | In Your Dreams | Nominated | [11] |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 4, 2026 | Best Animated Feature | In Your Dreams | Nominated | [12] |
| Astra Film Awards | January 9, 2026 | Best Animated Feature | In Your Dreams | Nominated | [13] |
| Annie Awards | February 21, 2026 | Best FX – Feature | Dmitriy Kolesnik, Stephen Paschk, David Sellares, Stephanie McNair | Pending | [14] |
| Best Voice Acting – Feature | Craig Robinson | Pending | |||
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 25, 2026 | Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature | Sacha Kapijimpangan Carey Smith, Nicola Lavender, Steve Pilcher | Pending | [15] |
| Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Animated Feature | Stephanie McNair, Dmitiry Kolesnik, Stephen Paschke, David Sellares | Pending |
