This Hidden Horror Gem on Netflix is the Mike Flanagan Masterpiece You’ve Never Seen
Mike Flanagan is a modern master of horror. He accomplished the impossible when he adapted Stephen King’s sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep, to screen, and Midnight Mass is the best show about vampires in a long time, maybe ever. Not to mention, The Haunting of Hill House is a masterclass in both scares and storytelling. Seriously, if you think your affection has waned, I encourage you to go back and revisit the show—it remains as affecting today as it did in 2018.
While Flanagan’s work has principally been of the Netflix miniseries variety lately (he had a deal with Intrepid Pictures to produce television shows for the streamer), his accomplishments on the theatrical front have been no less profound. Absentia, his debut, is frightening in its microbudget origins, and Ouija: Origin of Evil is one of the best horror sequels ever made. Between the indie offerings and franchise films, however, is a hidden Mike Flanagan gem you likely missed upon release. The good news? You can now catch the film streaming on Netflix.
Per Netflix: Still mourning the death of their son, Mark and Jessie welcome foster child Cody into their lives. Soon they discover he has a strange ability.
Before I Wake, starring Kate Bosworth and Thomas Jane, first premiered at the 2016 Fantasia International Film Festival. It’d make good company with The Poughkeepsie Tapes given how theatrical trailers were shown for the better part of a year despite Before I Wake never actually releasing. It wasn’t until early 2018 that Netflix stealthily dropped the film on its platform where it has been available to stream since. Most audiences likely missed the film, and I would encourage you to fill in your blind spot and check it out as soon as possible.
Before I Wake is a must-see for Flanagan aficionados. The filmmaker’s hallmarks are all there, including some frightening, hypnotic imagery, and more importantly, a profoundly affecting emotional core. Come for the ghost story, stay for the tearjerker of an ending. Is it a touch saccharine? Sure, but that’s what makes Mike Flanagan, well, Mike Flanagan. Few filmmakers are as unapologetically earnest, and in an age of jaded, ironic horror, a little heart goes a long way. It doesn’t hurt that Before I Wake is pretty darned scary to boot.
You can catch Before I Wake streaming on Netflix now. Once you do, be certain to let me know what you think over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
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