I just took the time to watch the 2016 horror film Before I Wake. I love a good horror film, but I never thought I would call one ‘sweet’. Before I Wake entraps both elements of heart-warming and stuff that nightmares are made of.

Unfortunately, I may need to reveal the ending to explain why this is a sweet horror film, but there are plenty of twists and jaw-dropping moments you can experience without it being spoiled here. You’ve been warned.

The film centres a little boy named Cody (Jacob Tremblay) who yet again is forced to find new foster parents. Cody is a sweet voiced, polite little boy who has been adopted by parents Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark (Thomas Jane) who lost their child in their own bath tub not long before. They slowly discover that the butterfly loving Cody is more than just an adorable little boy, but has a gift that is both beautiful and dangerous. His dreams come to life. He tries so hard to stay awake, that when he does fall asleep and wakes himself up in a fright, he cannot help but apologise to those who were victims to his dreams.
Jessie, suffering her own loss and then dealing with the consequences of Cody’s dreams, embarks on a mission to find out why this could be happening to a kid who obviously has no control over the events that happen outside his head as he sleeps.
Cody has given the name Canker Man to the monster that he sees in his dreams that manifests itself into reality, who literally takes its victims and sucks them into its body like quick sand. The monster is tall, very skinny to the point where it’s ribs are showing and eyes are black and hollow. Its fingers are bony and it tells Cody, ‘I’m always with you.’

Via Jessie’s findings about Cody’s mum, she has been able to discover a way to stop the Canker Man from harming and taking anymore bodies. And here is the biggest twist. She finds out that Cody’s mother died of cancer when he was very young. When he saw her for the final time, she resembled the exact thing that Cody calls the Canker Man. Canker came from the word ‘cancer’ because when he was shown the word, that is how he pronounced it. Adorable, right? Canker Man is a physical representation of what cancer is and how it harms and consumes the person and those around them.
It is such a nice film that will give you your own nightmares to start with. Bosworth is brilliant and Tremblay is once again, cute as always. He is a tremendous joy to watch and keeps getting better with every role he embarks on.

If you’re looking for something to make you fuzzy and warm inside, and don’t mind getting a little spooked at the same time, I wouldn’t look passed Before I Wake. 4 out of 5.