Slumberland

Movie review by Jennifer Green, Common Sense Media
Slumberland Movie Poster

Common Sense says

age 10+

Child faces peril, parental loss in imaginative adventure.

PG 2022 120 minutes
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Parents say

age 8+

Based on 11 reviews

Kids say

age 10+

Based on 6 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

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What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Slumberland is an action-packed adventure film in which characters, including a child named Nemo (Marlow Barkley), face significant danger. Nemo's life and the lives of others are often at risk, and her father dies in an early scene. People fall down, are pushed out of windows, crash in cars and airplanes, are tasered and locked up, drown in the ocean or come close to it, and are pursued by nightmarish shadowy creatures. And Nemo isn't the only character experiencing sorrow who feels like she wants to disappear and let life pass her by. Characters demonstrate courage and resilience, making sacrifices for one another. The film's story and characters are based loosely on Winsor McCay's early 1900s comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland, and it has some insightful messages about overcoming grief and choosing to live life to its fullest. Language includes "damn," "hell," "heck," "butt," and mild insults. Jason Momoa, Kyle Chandler, and Chris O'Dowd co-star.

Community Reviews

Johnstrom5
Johnstrom5 Adult
November 23, 2022
age 7+
Slumberland has terrible reviews and I’m honestly shocked. I watched it with my three children 12, 9, and 7. My 7yr old found it scary at times but enjoyed it, my 9yr old said he likes it a lot and felt like crying during the sad parts, and my 12 yr old who is fully into her teenager era, said it was way less “cringe-y” than she expected. As an adult who loves imaginative and sweet films, I really really liked Slumberland (For reference I am a fan of Studio Ghibli, Labyrinth, Princess Bride etc) There was no real romance which is always nice and while the relationship between Nemo and her Dad was too perfect, it wasn’t super annoying. The whole movie seemed fantastical even during the non dreaming scenes so I didn’t feel like the relationship portrayals needed to be 100% spot on. My children say that I am too critical and don’t need to tear everything apart, but here are the things I didn’t love: (spoilers) — Jason Momoa was fine but I definitely felt like he was channeling Johnny Depp from Pirates of the Caribbean with a hint of Michael Keaton playing Beetlejuice. It was during some of his scenes that I remembered I was watching a movie. (I hate saying that because I love him) — We were told early on that you can’t die in your own dream but if you die in another person’s dream, you died in real life. But it seems like they might have died in a couple of the dreams… it’s a debatable point, but again it drew me out of the movie. —When the uncle becomes whole with his dream self, he seems a bit like a womanizer which I suppose was to show how he was now like his dream self, but I still found it problematic. At the end of the movie he takes a woman’s watch and says she can have it back if they go on a date. Not super cool or consensual IMO. I think kids need to see that flirting can be respectful. —One of the dreamers is a woman who is a sexy ballroom dancer but in real life she is a nun. I get that they were illustrating that you do in your dreams what you wish you could do in real life, but the dreamer was an example of the oft used trope of the binary of holy woman/sexy woman which is a false dichotomy regarding womanhood. We can do better and still be imaginative in our films.
14 people found this helpful.
ferd
ferd Adult
November 24, 2022
age 10+

Fun ride

This was a great ride! Paced well and wild graphics. Pretty intense story line, including loss of the main characters father and disturbing dreams, but compared to other offerings in the movie culture pretty mild in comparison. Themes were present that would entertain adults as well as kids. Kids listed in review are actually grandkids ages 7, 13 and 15.
2 people found this helpful.
See all 11 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Nemo (Marlow Barkley) lives happily in an isolated lighthouse with her loving dad, Peter (Kyle Chandler), who also homeschools her, in SLUMBERLAND. When he dies at sea one night, Nemo is sent to live with her Uncle Phillip (Chris O'Dowd), whom she's never met. The two have nothing in common, but Nemo is able to escape when she falls asleep and enters an exciting dreamworld. There she meets Flip (Jason Momoa), a character straight out of her father's bedtime stories, who tells her she could have a chance to see Peter again if she helps him find a hidden treasure map. Nemo agrees to go along with Flip in the world of dreams -- and nightmares -- at grave danger to herself.

Is It Any Good?

This inventive ride, driven by perceptive performances from its stars, particularly young Barkley, blends family-friendly adventure with mature themes like overcoming grief and loss. Looking like Jack Sparrow meets Guns-n-Roses' Slash, Momoa is purposefully excessive as a guide through dreams in Slumberland. Just when he starts to get obnoxious, though, the filmmakers throw out a narrative curveball that reveals his sensitive side. O'Dowd is known for intuitive, understated acting, and he's vulnerable and sympathetic as the awkward uncle googling "how to raise a child" and reading up on "how to talk tween." In beard and fisherman's sweater, Chandler embodies the ideal father. But it's relative newcomer Barkley who steals the show as the grieving but courageous youngster. She is credible in every scene, no matter how unbelievable the set-up.

The script pulls together various threads about these and other characters and situations with revelatory pay-offs along the way. It's hard to know where the story is going next, which makes the film fun to watch, despite some over-the-top scenarios and other, emotionally taxing themes and scenes. The high-budget production design and effects are captivating, with creative dreamscapes like salsa bands made out of leaves and a shadowy nightmare octopus reminiscent of an underwater Mind Flayer. A cadre of Pam Grier-ish Black female agents overseeing people's dreams are hilariously stuck in '70s wardrobe and décor for no real reason. Other secondary characters are equally memorable. The plotline and narrative interactions between "slumberland" and "waking life" offer insights into the characters, and into the human condition in general.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what Nemo and Flip learn about themselves and their waking lives while in Slumberland. How does Nemo transfer knowledge between the two worlds?

  • What are some of the common dreams people have, according to this film? Have you ever had any of them? How are nightmares represented?

  • How do characters, Nemo especially, demonstrate resilience and courage? How do these character strengths help characters survive both dangerous situations and everyday life?

  • How do you think scenes like the flying geese or the underwater world are made? Where could you go for more information about how special effects work in a movie?

  • There are lots of interesting characters with minor roles in this film, like the dreamers and Nemo's classmates. Which stood out to you the most, and why?

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