Since this is a review of the Canadian movie Dreamland (Not to be confused with the Margo Robbie starring movie of the same name that came out the same year) let me start by telling you a story about another movie that was also directed by Bruce McDonald and written by Tony Burgess. Pontypool. I kind of ignored Pontypool when it came out, only watching it on streaming much later, after which it suddenly became one of my favourite horror movies of all time. It certainly taught me never to rely on my initial gut reaction that’s for sure, but then again my gut was never too trustworthy in the first place. You’re talking to a guy that loudly and obnoxiously proclaimed that the Suspiria remake would be sure to suck “Especially with that Fifty Shades of Grey chick as Suzy Bannion!” Eeesh… am still wiping the egg off my face for that one. Shame unto me. Many apologies to Dakota Johnson. I should have had more faith. Anyway, Pontypool is a masterclass in simplicity. One location, four actors, and a lead with such a deep and smooth and sonorous voice that it nearly crackles with electricity when he speaks. It was perfection. Then, eleven years later the sorta-sequel Dreamland appeared out of nowhere while the world was hip deep in the COVID epidemic. So it got a less than stellar box office and the critics savaged it. Let’s see if I can’t undo some of that damage.
