What Dreams May Come
1998 · Directed by Vincent Ward
Original language: English
- drama
- fantasy
- romance
The story
After Chris Nielsen dies in a car accident, he is guided through the afterlife by his spirit guide, Albert. His new world is beautiful and can be whatever Chris imagines. Even his children are there. But, when his wife, Annie, commits suicide and is sent to hell, Chris ignores Albert's warnings and journeys there to save her. Upon arrival, Chris finds that rescuing Annie will be more difficult than he'd imagined.
What it’s like
Saturated, painterly landscapes that look like oil on canvas: sunlit meadows, cobalt seas, and a lakeside house in lush greens and golds, with the heavenly world rendered as a series of living paintings. The afterlife is lavish and emotionally warm, scored with a swelling orchestral score that leans toward sentiment. The contrast arrives in the underworld, where the palette drains to ash, rust and bruised browns, and the textures turn grasping, dank and claustrophobic. Pacing is unhurried and contemplative, with long, lingering shots and quiet conversations that let grief settle in. The emotional register is tender and earnest, a love story about a husband refusing to let go of his wife, carried by the grief of losing children and a spouse in a car accident. The darkest material is the wife's suicide, handled with restraint rather than on-screen graphic detail, while the hellscapes bring unsettling, grotesque imagery and dread rather than gore. Some violence and fear appear in the infernal sequences, but nothing is sustained or explicit. It suits a rainy evening for viewers who want a sincere, visually rich meditation on death and devotion, though not for anyone seeking something light or gentle.
More films like What Dreams May Come
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved What Dreams May Comeand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
