5 Popular and Fascinating Movies About Dreams 

by Lewis Robinson

Why are dreams so fascinating? Could it be because there are different kinds, and so when people go to sleep, it's as if they're in a buffet line where the cook will give them a random dish? It could be a dream that you just don't want to wake up from - something so thrilling and exciting that it causes you to dread waking up even in mid-dream. Or, it could be something frightening that makes your emotions skyrocket to where you'll never forget it. Perhaps it could be a dream where you walk down memory lane, where you revisit people and places from your past, giving you that satisfaction that everyone desires that involves experiencing something one more time.

For whatever reason, dreams can make a huge impact on a person. Maybe this is why Hollywood has produced several films revolving around the concept of dreams that have captured the hearts of Americans everywhere. These movies are remembered because people can relate to them. Everyone experiences dreams and wishes they could relive some of them one more time. When it comes to these special movies, there are five that have made a massive impact on the culture of America.

The Wizard of Oz

Everyone knows about Dorothy and Toto. The movie revolves around a girl who simply has a dream about visiting a beautiful place and following a yellow brick road. About 95% of the movie takes place inside Dorothy's dream as she follows three companions to see a wizard who could send her home, or as the audience would say, "wake her up". Along the way, she meets her companions and encounters the villain, the Wicked Witch of the West. First coming out in 1939, this movie is an American treasure, because it highlights one of the most common dreams that people everywhere have - that of venturing into a faraway land and longing to return home.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Who doesn't remember the red-striped shirt and long, piercing claws of one of the scariest horror movie icons of all time? That's right - Freddy Krueger! A Nightmare on Elm Street revolves around a girl who begins having strangely real nightmares about a demonic figure who visits and tries to murder her. This villain then begins to hunt down her friends in their dreams, leaving her to solve the mystery of why this is happening while refusing to fall asleep. This lack of sleep leaves her spiraling down a horrific journey of mystery and murder, all taking place in dreams.

Inception

Another great hit, this one can leave your head spinning. The movie makes a nod towards common dream patterns, such as "hypnic jerks" and deep sleep patterns. It revolves around a group of people diving into the dream of another and trying to solve a mystery. The strange part is that they must dive deeper and deeper into "levels" of this man's dream, causing them to run into dangerous circumstances awaiting them.

The Matrix

The Matrix isn't about a normal dream that one experiences when they fall asleep, but it highlights experiences that everyone has when they do dream. In the Matrix, a hero named Neo finds that the entire world he lives in is actually a computer-generated dream forcibly implanted into him by villain machines. In order to survive and achieve his goal, he must "wake up" and be brought to the real world - a setting where the machines are ruling the world. The film’s threequel is even coming to theaters this December!

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Walter Mitty is a man who constantly goes in and out of daydreams throughout the movie. This charming movie highlights what people do everywhere by drifting in their thoughts, dreaming of being a bigger, better, and more popular figure. In Walter's daydreams, he is the king, full of confidence and bigger than life.

The Main Takeaway

It's no wonder that movies about dreams are enticing to people everywhere. In dreams, people can be who they want to be and do what they want to do. Naturally, movies about dreams are appealing to audiences, and more of them should be made.