12 - Cecylia B: Before I wake

Foster parents Mark and Jessie welcome 8-year-old Cody into their home after suffering the loss of their son. The boy tells Jessie that he's afraid to fall asleep, but she assumes it's just a natural fear for any kid. The couple become startled when their dead biological son suddenly appears in their living room. To their surprise, Cody's dreams can magically become real but so can his nightmares. Mark and Jessie must now uncover the truth behind Cody's mysterious ability before his imagination harms them all. Before I Wake isn’t a typical “happy ending” movie. It has many plot twists and it is a very clever movie. One great difference from other horror movies is that the boy Cody is sweet and not evil. At the end, the movie reveals the mystery of Cody’s nightmare. The monster in Cody’s nightmare turned out to be his biological mom. We also learned more about Cody’s mother. His mother loved Cody very much but she was sick and eventually died when Cody was very young. So, it was a very traumatic experience for young Cody. So, the monster is based on his fear of losing his mother. At the end, Jessie finally understands what was going on with Cody. So, when Jessie was face-to-face with the monster, she hugged the monster because the monster is nothing more than Cody’s traumatic experience of losing her mother. But it does appear that all those people who got eaten by the monster are gone forever including her husband. The feeling and emotion of love were a defining point in the movie, and it really opened me up like a waterfall. Thanks to the actors and the directors for making me feel something real, not superficial, in a completely unexpected way.