Before I Wake has an incredible premise, full of promise and grist for the horror fan to chew on. Flanagan relies heavily on jump-scares. Brooding silences punctuated by loud crashes, bangs and demons in the background. It is all too predictable for horror buffs. The disturbed kid syndrome was played up to good effect in Babadook, The Ring and of course classic horror like Exorcist. But what we get here is a thin stew instead of a hearty brew. This is at best, cookie-cutter horror that joins the dots, fine, but it doesn’t dish out anything memorable.

There are quite a few loopholes in the telling. The film ends in a teaser that suggests Cody’s powers can have a reverse effect too. It’s merely a suggestion though and probably has it’s origins in sequel ideation. The meditative pace, stylized positioning that passes off as performance, quasi-eerie atmosphere promoted by solid camerawork and generic treatment don’t make it a fulfilling mix. The VFX is magical but the entire treatment lacks vision and fire. As a result the ‘scares’ are never fully realized. This one promises much more than it can deliver!