- Content: "Not So Dreamy"
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What You Need To Know:
DREAM HOUSE is not as poorly produced as one would assume. The twist in the middle of the story is clever. It leads to a somewhat exciting if predictable finish. The bigger problem is that a figment of Will’s imagination becomes a ghost at the end. This ending presents an occult view of people who are dead, not a biblical one. Thus, while the movie has a light moral premise, that premise is infected with a very strong, unacceptable occult viewpoint. DREAM HOUSE also has several strong gratuitous profanities.
Content:
(OOO, B, LL, VVV, S, N, A, MM) Very strong occult worldview with some light moral elements trying to expose and stop a murderer and, eventually, his evil accomplice, marred by very strong occult content where hero talks to spirits of dead people that are partly figments of his imagination but later seem to be real ghosts who can interact with him at some level and help him; eight obscenities, eight strong profanities, six light profanities; intense scary violence and brief shots of bloody wounds on children that may be too disturbing for many and people are shot, man knocked out and given chloroform, fighting, man chases intruder outside house, woman shot and shoots at two men and grazing one in the head and knocking him out, talk about deaths of two children, man sets fire to house and pours gasoline, another man pours more gasoline on fire, two fireball explosions, villain ties woman up in house to try to burn her to death by torching house, creepy images of house crumbling and ghostly images and figments of imagination, and man chases teenagers out of his basement; implied marital sex and passionate kissing; upper male nudity; alcohol use; one minor character smokes; and, woman has arguments with ex husband, police don’t seem to want to help family but a twist later reveals why, stalking, arson, breaking and entering, scenes of insanity and madness, and lying.
More Detail:
DREAM HOUSE is a troubled production that didn’t have any advance screenings. Though it has some nice plot twists, it otherwise doesn’t stand out or have the kind of passion that makes a great, involving movie. Also, a figment of the protagonist’s unstable imagination eventually becomes a ghost that influences the movie’s climax.
The movie opens with Will Atenton leaving his plush New York publishing job to write a novel and live in his new suburban home with his wife, Libby, and their two young daughters. Will gets dirty looks from the ex-husband of the woman across the street. Then, his daughters and wife see a strange man lurking outside the house.
Will discovers that their house is the site of a gruesome murder scene five years ago. Will starts investigating what happened. Suddenly, the story takes a bizarre twist that forces Will to start examining his own mental stability.
DREAM HOUSE is not as poorly produced as one would assume. The twist in the middle of the story is pretty clever. It leads to a somewhat exciting but predictable finish.
The bigger problem is that a figment of Will’s imagination becomes a ghost at the end. The ghost appears to fit with the director, Jim Sheridan’s, Catholic background of belief in communion with the saints, including one’s loved ones. However, the ghost manages to influence what happens this side of Heaven in the movie’s climactic confrontation with the story’s real villain. This is an occult view of people who are dead, not a Catholic or a biblical one. Thus, while the movie has a light moral premise, that premise is infected with this very strong occult viewpoint. DREAM HOUSE also has several strong gratuitous profanities.
All in all, therefore, DREAM HOUSE is unacceptable, partly for its gratuitous profanities but mostly for its occult content. However, it’s not a completely evil occult movie like THE SIXTH SENSE, because here the occult content only plays a partial role in the story at a certain albeit crucial point.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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