Dreambuilders

Inside Out meets Monsters, Inc, Dreambuilders follows a young girl called Minna (Robyn Dempsey), who gains access to her Instagram-obsessed stepsister Jenny’s (Emma Jenkins) dreams in order to understand her unruly behaviour. Jenny is a million light years away from Minna. She is self-important, savvy and claims to have better fashion sense than her easygoing sibling – but her attitude does not last for long. During a brief spell in purgatory, Jenny realises there is much more to humanity than meets the eye and, as a result, changes her ways.

In an age where animated films regularly tackle grown-up themes, Dreambuilders opts for the opposite. Primarily aimed at a younger audience, the plot explores the ups and downs of Jenny and Minna’s relationship. The family sequences are what anchor the film and give it its edge; Jenny’s entry into Minna’s life brings drama and conflict sorely lacking in Minna’s mundane dreams.

The story is augmented by the onscreen colour palette: Minna’s yellow jumper conveys her sunny personality, while Jenny’s blue portrays her angst and emotional turbulence. The stunning use of Scandi-pop music gives Dreambuilders a promising set-up with a melancholic gloss that holds its audience all the way through the opening credits, but the ambiance soon shifts and becomes somewhat humdrum. This is a film that clearly celebrates the power of the imagination, and it has some memorable moments, but it drags.

Ghazaleh Golpira

Dreambuilders is released nationwide on 16^th November 2020.

Watch the trailer for Dreambuilders here: