Film
Before I Wake brings us the story of Mark (Thomas Jane) and Jessie (Kate Bosworth), a young couple who adopt an orphaned boy, Cody (Jacob Tremblay – Room). It is not long after Cody joins the little family, that strange things start to happen. When Cody has a dream, or nightmare, these manifest physically to Mark and Jessie.
The cast bring in a performance level of note, with yet another exceptional role for Jacob Tremblay.
Before I wake starts off building tension, misdirecting the viewer with a few cheap jump-scares, but also letting the viewers mind wander, leaving a lot to the imagination. However, as we reach the third at of the story, things begin to feel a little rushed. There are a few twists to the tale, which one is likely to predict just prior to its revelation in the film. It feels a bit like the ending betrays the tension and mystery of the rest of the film, and unfortunately makes the entire thing weaker as a result.
While many of the films concepts are not new, there is a lot of entertainment value in the film, especially for those with a penchant for horror or the supernatural. Eschewing blood and gore, for a more psychological path, Before I Wake play with the mind and lets the imagination run wild. Then, once the are sure you are about to be scared, the scene does an about face, and one is left with more clues pointing to what may have lead to the dreams and nightmares Cody is experiencing.
A tense horror, that sadly rushes the ending, Before I Wake is a chilling romp into another world, governed by the mind of a young boy.
Disc
Overall, the disc, though devoid of any additional content, is of a pretty good quality.
Before I Wake is available now, to purchase on disc, in South Africa.
Video
Video is encoded at a high bitrate. There are no visible artefacts on screen, and viewers with the relevant hardware or software can scale the image up to a larger or higher resolution screen, should they desire.
Colours are vibrant, with no bleed. Blacks are detailed, but not as deep as one would think in some of the very dark scenes.
Audio
Audio is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. Dialogue is clear, with distinct panning of sounds and effects between the various channels.
The film makes a fair amount of use for the surround channels, making the viewer more a part of the action, and enhancing the on-screen action.
Navigation
Navigation is simple, and easy to use. There are only options to play the main feature, and to go to individual scenes via a sub-menu. The menu has a static background, with music.
Bonus Features
There are unfortunately no bonus features, other than trailers for The Keeping Room, Sing Street and Genius. These can be skipped and fast-forwarded. They play at the beginning of the disc, but there is no way to access them again without restarting the disc.
