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Somewhat ironic, considering Before I Wake was originally a 2015 film.

Not widely released until this past Friday, growing master of horror Mike Flanagan’s “new” film Before I Wake was actually made *before* Flanagan directed recent hits Ouija: Origin of Evil, Hush and Gerald’s Game. Believe it or not, filming wrapped way back in 2013, with the movie originally dated for release in 2015… then 2016… and then 2017.

Netflix saved the film from purgatory, premiering it last week.

Ever since Wes Craven brought a dream demon to the screen with A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984, the horror genre has been blending nightmares and reality in various different ways. But Before I Wake injects that particular approach with a whole lot of invention, centered on a young boy whose dreams and nightmares manifest in the real world while he sleeps.

Jacob Tremblay stars as the 8-year-old Cody, an otherwise perfect little gentleman who is adopted by Kate Bosworth and Thomas Jane’s Jessie and Mark Hobson at the start of the film. Jessie and Mark have recently lost their own child in a tragic at-home accident that still haunts them, but they’re hoping Cody will fill that void in their hearts – if that sounds a bit selfish, know that the film doesn’t shy away from exploring the darkness of that particular desire.

As for Cody, well, it doesn’t take long before he falls asleep… despite his best efforts.

When Cody sleeps, whatever he imagines inside his own head – be it a wonderful dream or a horrifying nightmare – literally manifests itself in the Hobson home. Cody seems to initially be at peace in his sleep, as colorful butterflies appear to Jessie and Mark while they’re lounging on the couch – these “dream” moments are pure magic, as they’re lit, filmed and wonderfully played by both actors as waking dreams that you can’t help but be in sheer awe of. But Cody’s supernatural abilities take a sinister turn when he begins to have nightmares. Cody is terrorized in his sleep by a barely-humanoid creature he refers to as “The Canker Man,” a slender, alien-like being that literally consumes anyone in its path.

The Canker Man is always with Cody, he warns his new parents.

But lest you think Before I Wake is your standard tale of a nightmare creature invading the real world, the brilliance of Mike Flanagan and Jeff Howard’s script is that it’s actually an emotionally complex tale of love, loss and the way that our past experiences, well, haunt us in our everyday lives. Without giving anything away, The Canker Man is something more than a dream demon that Cody conjured up in his worst nightmares; rather, it’s a nightmarish manifestation of the most terrifying, deep-seated moment in the young boy’s past.

Much like Gerald’s Game, Before I Wake is capped off with a heart-wrenching coda that ties the whole thing together and takes everything you’ve just watched to an entirely new level. The film is equipped with one of the strongest final acts you’ll ever see in a horror movie, highlighting what makes Flanagan such a master storyteller in the horror space: his deep, heart-on-his-sleeve empathy for others, and his clear understanding that horror means absolutely nothing without relatable human emotion at the center of it.

Before I Wake is the story of a sad mother who needs a child to love. And a lonely child who needs to be loved by his mother. And it’s another wonderful treat from a new master.

I’d say 2018 is off to a great start, horror fans.

4 Skull Rating

Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has four awesome cats. Still plays with toys.

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‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

LEPRECHAUN

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

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Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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