What Dreams May Come

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What Dreams May Come

PG-13

1998

1h 53m

Fantasy

Romance

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

51%

Tomatometer

67 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

After Chris Nielsen (Robin Williams) dies in a car accident, he is guided through the afterlife by his spirit guide, Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.). His new world is beautiful and can be whatever Chris imagines. Even his children are there. But, when his wife, Annie (Annabella Sciorra), commits suicide and is sent to hell, Chris ignores Albert's warnings and journeys there to save her. Upon arrival, Chris finds that rescuing Annie will be more difficult than he'd imagined.

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Critics Consensus

An insubstantial plot overshadows the beautiful, surreal scenery.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/29/2010

3/5

Worthwhile for thoughtful teens.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

01/01/2000

3.5/4

`What Dreams May Come' is so breathtaking, so beautiful, so bold in its imagination!

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Paul Tatara

CNN.com

01/01/2000

A visual blast.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

11/26/2022

1.5/4

“Dreams” tries too hard to be a serious allegory of the afterlife and falls on its face in the absence of an appropriate or intriguing plot. The visuals, while stunning, take over the film too easily.

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Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

05/12/2013

It's a sullen and woefully boring religious sermon...

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

05/20/2009

D

Aside from having one of the worst titles in recent film memory, "What Dreams May Come" fails by trying to be all things to all people.

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Maps G

@mapsgill 3d

A beautiful movie. Williams at his best. Maybe some folks don't prefer the type of story, but we don't rank movies based on whether or not we like a type of story. This is the same reason why horror movies get ranked so low so often, because people just don't get or like horror as a genre. That's not how ratings work. What Dreams May Come is beautiful and heart wrenching and pretty to watch as well. Nothing less than an 80%

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Yash B

Nov 30

"What Dreams May Come" has a lot of big ideas to chew on, as well as a great performance from Robin Williams. I think what makes this movie difficult to watch is that it really feels depressing to watch at times, as it is aggressively sad and unpleasant within the first few minutes. I can see what the movie was going for, but it is so emotionally draining and repetitive, I just didn't really like watching it. I also think the movie is visually creative, but the effects feel dated, and that is not ideal for a movie that is only from the 90s. Overall, it is an ambitious movie with some really creative elements, and Robin Williams did a great job in it, but it doesn't rank among his best films for me because of how sad and bleak the experience is.

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Leaburn O

Nov 12

Watched years ago but I remember it being a really beautiful storyline and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Watched on Sky Cinema.

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Lucas T.

@LukkenHadduken Nov 3

One of the most beautiful movies both visually and emotionally.

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Eric S

@eslyter Nov 2

You need a good cry and also want to be blown away by stunning visuals? Watch this movie. It's 2025 as of this review and this film is more potent than ever. God I miss Robin Williams.

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Jen N

@Jennever Oct 17

The film lurches toward greatness, dazzling the viewer with a spectacular view of heaven that is not only beautiful but also profoundly moving.

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Vincent Ward

Director

Robin Williams

Chris Nielsen

Cuba Gooding Jr.

Albert Lewis

Annabella Sciorra

Annie Nielsen

Max von Sydow

The Tracker

Jessica Brooks Grant

Marie Nielsen

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - Thank You For Every Kindness

2:04

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - Robin Williams Dies

2:48

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - The Shores of Hell

3:06

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - Heavenly Kiss

2:43

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - The Floor of Faces in Hell

3:19

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - Robin Williams Meets Cuba Gooding Jr.

2:50

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - Boat Ride to Hell

1:45

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - Robin Williams In Painted Heaven

2:38

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - Robin Williams Naruto-Runs

2:24

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - Max Von Sydow is the Ferryman

2:53

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Synopsis

After Chris Nielsen (Robin Williams) dies in a car accident, he is guided through the afterlife by his spirit guide, Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.). His new world is beautiful and can be whatever Chris imagines. Even his children are there. But, when his wife, Annie (Annabella Sciorra), commits suicide and is sent to hell, Chris ignores Albert's warnings and journeys there to save her. Upon arrival, Chris finds that rescuing Annie will be more difficult than he'd imagined.

Director: Vincent Ward
Producer: Stephen Deutsch, Barnet Bain
Screenwriter: Richard Matheson, Ronald Bass
Distributor: Polygram
Production Co: PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 28, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $55.5M
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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