Watch Kids' Reviews of
JUST ANOTHER DREAM

I like Just Another Dream because it is an intense, emotional action film. It constantly surprised me with every scene, and was extremely unpredictable.

This film starts off when the main character Anna (Kayden Bryce) is 8 years old, and takes a pretty bad hit to the head. Ever since then, she cannot stop having these incredibly realistic vivid nightmares. In her most recent dream, someone is murdered at a bank robbery. After scaring her family, claiming that a few days later her exact dream happened in real life, they make the decision to send her to a mental hospital. At this facility, they try to help her understand that her dreams are so vivid, that she doesn't understand what is real and what is only a dream. However, no one believes her except for her best friend. They must work together, to use her power for good.

Something that I really like about this film is the suspense. Every time that I thought I figured out what was going to happen, it surprises me. The movie has a lot of creativity and that makes it even better. Another thing that I like is the incorporation of multiple genres. It could have easily just been an emotional dramatic movie, however it includes many action packed scenes. This really adds to the film, and also allows it to reach multiple types of audiences. This is really great to have, because it has a big factor on how successful the movie is. Lastly, this film gives people a wake-up call on how valuable life can be. You never realize how good you have until you see other people's lives. It also reminds us to trust those you love, and remember that anything is possible.

The message of this film is to always value your life, and realize that you never know what someone else could be going through. This film could be sensitive to younger viewers.

I give Just Another Dream 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 11 to 18, depending on their maturity level. It releases on digital and DVD June 15, 2021.

By Mikella G., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15

Just Another Dream is a very different movie and I found it a fun movie to watch, because it's about things that we might deem impossible in real life. However, lots of things are different than reality.

The storyline is about Anna Miller (Kayden Bryce) and her dreams. Ever since an accident Anna was in when she was little, she has had very vivid dreams; now those dreams are starting to come true. Only Josh Mason (Copeland Diver) believes her; everyone else thinks she might be crazy. When one of those dreams puts her family's life in danger it is a race against the clock to save her family.

This film definitely has some good points. For one, the location is amazing; it is a beautiful lake and river and we watch Josh and Anna biking it. This lake is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen; I wish I could see it in real life. The second is the quality of the acting. It has spectacular scenes such as one with lots of crying that look very real. Kayden Bryce, who plays Anna, is only 16, but is already very accomplished. For example, her reaction to Anna waking up from a very vivid dream the first time only to find out that it came true, her reaction is so believable. Another key scene is when Anna's mom is worried about her and her vivid dreams. Towards the end there are some very confusing scenes that don't quite make sense until the movie is over. The lightning is impressive and somewhat odd such as a very bright light that comes in from the window behind the actors. You don't know what it is. There are some very loud and dramatic sound effects, mostly at the beginning that really catch your attention. Most of the costumes are regular day clothes but there is one creepy one that is all black and has a black mask. The plot really escalates, especially when it gets personal and Anna's family appears in her dreams. Suddenly, a race against time really takes you to the edge of your seat. Although the race against time kind of drags, it still grabs your attention.

The message of Just Another Dream is to believe in your dreams and you can get anywhere.

I give Just Another Dream 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 14 to 18 plus adults. This film comes out in select theaters and on DVD June 15, 2021. The burning question is: Did Anna go to Tiko's birthday party?

By Avalon N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

Just Another Dream has great actors, but the storyline it is somewhat confusing. The suspense and plotline that this film meant to create falls a bit short.

The story follows a girl named Anna (Kayden Price) who goes through a series of traumatic events in her early childhood. As a result, she has a side effect of realistic dreams that may come true. She goes on a journey to find out if they are just other dreams.

While the actors are enjoyable to watch, their performances are uninspired and lack emotion in some scenes where that was needed. Throughout the film the camerawork is clear and detailed; it is greatly appreciated when the landscape is so beautiful. I like that the rural setting is realistic and relatable, especially the pond. The beginning is very dramatic and introduces the plotline in such a dramatic way that later, as the plotline is re-introduced, it is very anticlimactic. The audience is left wondering what the story is really about.

The message of Just Another Dream is to never discredit another person's experiences or their feelings about them. Loss and PTSD are both touched on, which are important issues to discuss. Audiences should be aware that there is a violent crime and scenes of bullying.

I give Just Another Dream 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults. It is available on digital and DVD June 15, 2021.

By Ashleigh C., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 17

Just Another Dream is a bit confusing and weird at times. The idea isn't bad, but it seems that a lot of time is wasted and, as such, the story falters when it comes to important moments.

The story follows Anna (Kayden Brycee), a girl who has experienced vivid dreams ever since she received an injury to her head. After realizing her dreams tell the future, she must save her family, while also proving her sanity.

In terms of the plot, the story doesn't properly set up the possibility that Anna is mentally unwell. She has a single dream that ends up coming true and her parents immediately send her to a mental hospital. Coupled with the fact it's unclear how much time passed between her dream and her parents' decision, this reaction makes no sense. If she had a bunch of dreams and was struggling to cope with them, I would maybe understand her parents' behavior. As it stands, it feels too forced.

It also takes quite a while for the main storyline - Anna's family being in danger - to actually happen. Most of the movie is spent inside the mental hospital, setting up characters that aren't really very important and reiterating the fact that no one believes Anna. It's somewhat annoying because we, as an audience, know she's right. So, all these scenes feel like a waste, because they don't establish anything new. Although, once the main plot kicks in, I admit that there is some genuine tension. I was actually invested in the safety of Anna's family.

Unfortunately, the acting in this movie is not very impressive. It is acceptable, however I could not connect with Kayden Bruce's portrayal of Anna. She seems perpetually moody and annoyed in every scene, even when she is talking with her best friend and supposedly in a good mood.

The editing also needs to be addressed. There are many instances where the audio quality of a dialogue drops in the middle of a line. Towards the end of the movie, there are a lot of very poor special effects. I can excuse these, depending on the film's budget, but I can't excuse the music choices. There are multiple scenes where the background music does not fit the tone of the scene at all, and it is really jarring.

The message of this film is that you can't change the past, but you can change your future, so it's important to accept where you are right now and move forward. There is a somewhat graphic scene where Anna gets bit by a dog.

I give Just Another Dream 2 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 11 to 18. It comes out on digital and DVD June 15, 2021.

By Calista B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 17

I find Just Another Dream appealing because, on the surface level, this film seems like a fun action drama, but it has a deeper meaning about love transcending time and space. Even platonic love can eventually bring two people back to one another. This film also shows selflessness when Anna sacrifices something significant in her life in order to save another person's life. Young people will enjoy the action sequence where Anna runs around town trying to save her family.

The story follows a child named Anna who has a head injury as a young child and afterwards is able to tell the future through her dreams. She dreams something foreboding about her family and the countdown begins to save them.

The visual quality is the biggest strength of this film. Although there are some parts where the CGI could be rendered better, the overall cinematic shots, color and lighting heighten the visual quality in general. The plot is easy to follow, so kids can enjoy and understand the film. This film displays the three act structure. Act one gives us a background of Anna, her family and her friends. Then, Anna has a dream about a lady being murdered. Act two is the turning point when Anna is admitted to a mental rehabilitation center after having a breakdown due to her dreams. The climax is when Anna has a bad dream about her family and escapes to save them. Act three ties up all loose ends regarding how Josh and Anna's timelines are different. It ends with Anna remembering everything she dreamed while she was unconscious after the baseball and promising herself to find Josh. All the characters, except Josh and Anna, do not believe that Anna can actually tell the future. Little by little, Anna proves them wrong and they develop empathy towards Anna. It drew me in because conflict is created right from the start with the tension between Anna, Josh and the others. I was definitely empathic towards Anna and Josh. We are inclined to side with Anna from the beginning, so it is easy to empathize with her. The concepts would be easy for young people to grasp because everything is explained in the end. Any confusion about the friendship between Anna and Josh is also explained. The vocabulary is suitable for its audience. Even in the metal rehabilitation center, the doctors do not use medical terms and explain everything in lay terms. Since this film is an action-filled drama, the scenes with heightened tension have background music that matches the intensity of the action. At times the CGI does not look realistic, such as the fire scenes. This film makes a viewer think outside the box in terms of alternate realities and time. Regarding culture, there is only one person of color in a lead role, the character Takota played by Eugene Brave Rock. I appreciate that Takota explains the culture and history of the Native American dream-catcher to Anna. Most importantly, this film presents the idea that true love, even platonic love, can transcend space and time and eventually two people will always find their way back to one another. Just Another Dream has very good visual quality, an interesting portrayal of space and time, and displays the idea of sacrificing to save another person.

The message of the film is that sometimes one needs to sacrifice something important in their life to save another person's life. There are definitely some things for parents to be aware of that make this unsuitable for younger children including: a bank robbery, a murder in a bank, shooting a gun at someone in the bank (no blood or gore however), bullying, alcohol use, adults kissing a suggestive way, a drowning, death of a child from fire, use of prescription drugs.

I give Just Another Dream 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18. Reviewed by Tor F., KIDS FIRST!

When a fateful injury sparks an ordinary girl to have foretelling dreams, she is forced into a race against time to save her family and prove her sanity....or is it JUST ANOTHER DREAM?