Dreamcatcher

2015

1h 38m

Documentary

Crime

Drama

List

100%

31 Reviews

Tomatometer

76%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

In Chicago, former prostitute Brenda Myers-Powell helps at-risk youths and women break the cycle of violence and sexual exploitation and find the means to change their own lives.

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Critics Consensus

Unforgettable and deeply moving, Dreamcatcher uses an extraordinary true personal story to make emphatic socioeconomic arguments.

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Audience Member

This woman has made it her life to help every soul she can... Very brave film. I only wish it had a: "This is what happened to...." at the end.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A deeply moving and inspirational piece exposing the depths of human depravity and addiction. The main character Brenda provides a beacon of hope to several young Chicagoans lost in the dark. Dreamcatcher is a must-see documentary!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Boring movie about a prostitute... Hollywood has officially run out of ideas.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Raw, candid and with serious issues at hand. Lack a little structure but very powerful and important.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

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J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

Myers-Powell understands the psychology of human trafficking, and her advice is admirably sober, clear-eyed, and devoid of sentiment.

Sep 10, 2015

Full Review

Sheila O'Malley

RogerEbert.com

Despite the harrowing stories that fill the film from start to finish, "Dreamcatcher" is not hopeless. How could it be hopeless when there are people like Myers-Powell in the world?

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 27, 2015

Full Review

Katie Walsh

Los Angeles Times

These stories are hard to hear, but Myers-Powell demonstrates that bearing witness and testifying are key to recovery and healing, as are unconditional love and a belief that no one is past redemption.

Mar 19, 2015

Full Review

Vadim Rizov

Filmmaker Magazine

Dreamcatcher is enlightening and sobering, but as a piece of craft it doesn’t match the commitment of its subject; it’s effectively a selective database of recorded testimony rather than a sculpted take on same...

Jan 23, 2023

Full Review

Ben Homewood

NME (New Musical Express)

A powerful documentary about a charity that helps the homeless women of Chicago...

Rated: 4/5

Apr 29, 2021

Full Review

Ellena Zellhuber-McMillan

One Room With A View

There's nothing filmically astounding about Dreamcatcher, but its content is powerful, tragic, and important.

Rated: 3/5

May 4, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

In Chicago, former prostitute Brenda Myers-Powell helps at-risk youths and women break the cycle of violence and sexual exploitation and find the means to change their own lives.

Director: Kim Longinotto
Producer: Dan Cogan, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Regina K. Scully
Screenwriter: Lisa Stevens
Production Co: Green Acres Films, Rise Films, Vixen Films
Genre: Documentary, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Runtime: 1h 38m