#BeforeIWake https://t.co/NPMVgGowLP
— Before I Wake (@BeforeIWakeFilm) March 13, 2015
Mike Flanagan’s last foray into horror gave us the brilliantly clever creepfest Oculus. That flick utilized a key prop to instigate its sequence of eerie events. His next effort, Before I Wake, hones in on the dream cycle of a young boy to harvest its horrors, some of which you can experience for yourself in the first trailer.
The film stars Kate Bosworth and Thomas Jane as Jessie and Mark, respectively. After having recently lost their 8-year old son, they adopt a young lad named Cody. What they don’t realize at the offset is that the newest addition to their family harbors a frankly insane ability, wherein he can manifest his dreams into reality for those nearby. This is obviously exciting and heart-warming when he’s in a dreamland populated by colorful butterflies, but likely to scar you for life if he has a nightmare.
Luckily, the trailer indicates that Flanagan’s latest will sidestep all of the usual formulaic guff that occurs when a child leads a horror movie. Using his tasty aesthetic prowess that made Oculus so darn effective, Flanagan lulls you between happiness for the couple and utter terror. Particularly when those butterflies turn into some sort of evil C-3PO looking demon. Check out the trailer in full above and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Co-starring Annabeth Gish, Dash Mihok, and Jacob Tremblay, Before I Wake opens on May 8th.
In this intense and heart pounding supernatural thriller, Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark (Thomas Jane) decide to take in a sweet and loving 8-year-old boy, Cody. Unbeknownst to them, Cody is terrified of falling asleep. At first, they assume his previous unstable homes caused his aversion to sleep, but soon discover why: Cody’s dreams manifest in reality as he sleeps. In one moment they experience the incredible wonder of Cody’s imagination, and in the next, the horrific nature of his night terrors. To save their new family, Jessie and Mark embark on a dangerous hunt to uncover the truth behind Cody’s nightmares.