What Dreams May Come - A Movie Review

Our whole life is a human heartbeat. Make it a good one.

What Dreams May Come is a film about a man who is killed in a car accident. Waking up, he finds himself in a peaceful setting. Heaven. Trying to understand how life brought him to where he was, Chris is on a mission to save his widowed wife.

For the month of August, I asked around for recommendations for Robin Williams films. The premise of What Dreams May Come intrigued me. Although it is a sad film about the depiction of death, the film is a beautiful work of art that talks about the afterlife.

I have to admit that it was tough to watch this film especially after the death of Robin Williams in 2014. William’s charisma enlightens viewers. I love moments where he laughed heartily spending time with his family. Chris has been through many tragedies. Determined to understand, Chris is presented with a new way of looking at his life.

Cuba Gooding Jr. is an underrated actor. He was my favorite actor from this film. His enthusiastic energy came off so naturally in his performance. As the guardian angel of this heaven, Albert helps Chris open his mind.

Other credits include the talents of Annabella Sciorra, Max Von Sydow, Jessica Brooks Grant, Josh Paddock, Rosalind Chao, Lucinda Jenney, Maggie McCarthy, and many others to perform as ghosts of heaven.

Annabella Sciorra especially did a remarkable job winding deep into her emotions. Death is never easy. As she is grieving her loss, Annie writes her feelings into a journal. She and Williams had a deep conversation that set their relationship. Their interactions throughout the film are sweet.

Heaven is anything that you want it to be in What Dream May Come. The visual effects are absolutely stunning. Everything is so pure. That’s what grabbed my attention to watch this film. We all have a different perception of heaven. Filmmakers went above and beyond to create beautiful paintings.

Colors are used very well for interpretation. The outstanding visual effects earned this film an award for Best Visual Effects. I could not stop staring at the screen studying every stunning visual. Art lovers, this is the movie for you.

Vincent Ward sported breathtaking abilities in his direction. Different worlds of heaven were thought up from creative interpretations. That’s my favorite part of this film. It is creative. And truthful. Ward’s direction made for a beautifully haunting picture that captures audiences into its essence.

What Dreams May Come is a dark fantasy. It is grim. Because the film is open to interpretation, I found it to be very philosophical. It demonstrates ideas for viewers. Death is a topic that people tend to avoid, but it is an important subject to talk about.

This film made me feel a lot of emotions - some in which that I could relate to or haven’t felt in a while. Don’t ever ignore the emotions that you feel. Reach out and talk about these emotions because we all have a story. Most importantly, never be afraid to live life.

For those who have trigger warnings about suicide, the film’s depiction of the subject may not be suitable. Albeit, it is just a film, the subject matter is harsh in hindsight due to Robin Williams’s own suicide. No matter what, Williams will always live on. Wherever he is I hope that he has found peace.

I recommend that you check out What Dreams May Come. It is a very underrated movie that deserves more appreciation. I warn you, it is sad but it is a film worth watching.