What Dreams May Come (1998) Review: Ranking Robin Williams’ Visually Stunning Afterlife
Is What Dreams May Come (1998) a good movie? Yes, What Dreams May Come is a visually groundbreaking but emotionally heavy 1998 fantasy drama. While its abstract plotting and heavy exposition can feel overwhelming, Robin Williams anchors the film with a gut-wrenching, 5-star dramatic performance. In our ultimate movie ranking and review, it stands as one of his most ambitious projects ever.
The Premise: What is What Dreams May Come About?
After dying in a car accident, pediatrician Chris Nielsen (Robin Williams) finds himself in a vividly imagined afterlife shaped by his own memories and emotions. Meanwhile, his wife Annie is so devastated by grief that she takes her own life, which condemns her to a darker, hellish realm. Guided by a former mentor, Chris must risk his own spiritual existence to rescue her in a story that explores love, loss, depression, and ultimate sacrifice.
(Outside Knowledge Note: Directed by Vincent Ward, the film was celebrated for its stunning, painterly aesthetic and rightfully won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1998. It was adapted from the 1978 novel by legendary sci-fi and fantasy author Richard Matheson).
What Works: Pioneering Visuals and Real Emotion
What Dreams May Come might be Robin Williams’ most ambitious project. Visually, the film is packed with stunning moments, particularly the breathtaking sequences where the afterlife is literally constructed out of thick, vibrant paint.
Furthermore, so much of this movie relies on heavy visual effects, meaning Williams was acting alone on giant green-screen stages long before that became the Hollywood norm. It feels like he is pioneering the technology in real-time, delivering gut-wrenching, highly emotional scenes to empty rooms.
What Doesn't Work: Exposition and Studio Interference
However, the movie is far from perfect. It frequently just sits in its own sadness, and the abstract plotting makes it a challenging watch.
A few things hold the film back:
Too Much Exposition: We spend far too much time listening to the characters over-explain the complex rules of the afterlife. Frankly, there is only so much exposition a person can handle before wanting to reincarnate themselves just to get a break.
Studio Interference: The ending is tied up with such a neat, happy little bow that it immediately feels like a studio mandate. (Spoiler alert: A quick bit of research confirms that the studio indeed meddled with the original, darker ending to make it more palatable for audiences).
Better as a Book: Ultimately, the concept of a man dying, going to heaven, and embarking on a quest for his soulmate feels like a concept that simply works better in the abstract format of a novel.
The Robin Williams Ranking & Performance Score
Robin Williams Performance Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars) Robin gives us a deeply moving, gut-wrenching performance. It is incredibly impressive considering he had to manifest all of this emotion while acting in empty green-screen spaces. It’s an easy 5-star performance.
Good Mourning Robin Ranking: This is a tough film to place in our overall ranking list. It reaches for something incredibly difficult, and it succeeds in many ways. For now, it sits above the visually beautiful but bloated Toys, but below the thrilling family adventure of Jumanji.
FAQ: What Dreams May Come (1998) Movie
Who starred in What Dreams May Come?Robin Williams starred as Chris Nielsen, alongside Annabella Sciorra as his wife Annie, and Academy Award-winner Cuba Gooding Jr. as his afterlife guide.
Is What Dreams May Come based on a book? Yes, the movie is based on the 1978 fantasy novel of the same name by acclaimed author Richard Matheson.
Did What Dreams May Come win any Oscars? Yes, the film won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for its breathtaking depiction of heaven as a landscape made entirely of wet oil paint.
Is the movie What Dreams May Come sad? Yes, it is a highly emotional and often devastating film. The plot deals heavily with themes of sudden death, intense grief, depression, and suicide, meaning the movie frequently "sits in sadness".
How does Robin Williams' performance in What Dreams May Come rank? In our review, he earns a perfect 5-star performance score. He delivers a gut-wrenching emotional performance, which is made even more impressive by the fact that he was largely acting alone against giant green screens.
