Silver And The Book Of Dreams (2023) – Movie Review

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In this dream-jumping fantasy, a young woman, reeling from her father’s death, gets involved with boys who take part in something supernatural and potentially deadly.

Plot Summary

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After her father’s death, Liv moves to London with her mom and sister, after her mom finds a new husband. Because of the trauma involved with her dad’s death, and how often her mom has moved the family, she is a bit prickly. But with the discovery that she can enter people’s dreams by her new stepbrother, Grayson, and his friends Arthur, Henry, and Jasper, she is brought into their group.

The problem is, there are blood rituals involved in being in their group. Also, no sooner than she makes wishes and starts to develop something with Henry, she finds herself learning about Arthur’s ex Anabel and questioning was she setup?

General Information

Director(s)	Helena Hufnagel
Screenplay By	Sina Flammang
Based On Work By	Kerstin Gier
Distributor(s)	Prime Video (External Link)
Date Released	12/8/2023
How To Watch	Prime Video
Genre(s)	Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Non-English (German)
Film Length	1 Hour 33 Minutes
Content Rating	Not Rated
Noted Characters and Cast
Liv	Jana McKinnon
Grayson	Théo Augier Bonaventure
Arthur	Chaneil Kular
Henry	Rhys Mannion
Jasper	Efeosa Afolabi
Anabel	Josephine Blazier

Content Rating Explanation

• Dialog: Cursing throughout
• Violence: Drugging, choking, light physical violence
• Sexual Content: Nothing notable
• Miscellaneous: Drinking and drug use

Character Descriptions

Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.

Liv (Jana McKinnon)

A polyglot (she speaks five languages) who has a close relationship with her sister, Liv is constantly trying to navigate her mother’s newest relationships and who she may have to adapt to. This includes at school, since she has been to 7 different schools in the past 5 years.

Grayson (Théo Augier Bonaventure)

Flamboyant, but sweet, Grayson dreams of becoming class president but fears embarrassment during his victory speech.

Arthur (Chaneil Kular)

Anabel’s ex, and seemingly the leader of the Dreamers group, Arthur, is rich and a bit of an ass at times.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Sex Education: Season 1.”

Henry (Rhys Mannion)

Henry and Liv share being older siblings, though Henry’s sister is far younger than Liv’s, and he, too, has some issues at home. His deals with violence from his mother, but he still smiles and is friendly despite the circumstances.

Jasper (Efeosa Afolabi)

The only thing we learn about Jasper is that he wants to go pro in basketball.

Anabel (Josephine Blazier)

Anabel is Arthur’s ex, the original maiden of the dreams, and the way the story goes, she started to care far more about being in the dream world than reality, to the point she lost her way.

Review

Our Rating: Positive (Worth Seeing)

Highlights

Anabel

What we love about Anabel is that she is given an air of mystery throughout most of the film. Is she truly crazy? Did Arthur set her up? It’s hard to say.

But, it makes when Liv gets to really know her all the more interesting, and as time goes on, it pushes you to wonder, since none of the kids seemed to fully read the Book of Dreams, what other side effects the book may have caused.

The Dream/Nightmare Setup

For “Silver and The Book of Dreams,” I wouldn’t say there is necessarily a villain. Yes, some characters have selfish intentions, but you get it. They are teenagers with the gift to explore other people’s dreams, know their secrets, and potentially make their dreams come true. With that in mind, especially in a society where social mobility can feel scarce, you get it.

But, what really drives the dream/nightmare set up to have some interest is the drama – specifically for Henry and Liv. Henry, with having an alcoholic and violent mother, brings a level of intrigue that is unexpected. Then, when you add in Liv’s background, specifically how her father died, while it may not go far enough to get you in your feelings, it’s easy to imagine that with more time and development, it could have.

On The Fence

Feeling Like Some Characters Were Underdeveloped

While not familiar with the source material, something about “Silver and The Book of Dreams” pushes you to feel that this would have been better as a series than a movie. Why? Well, because a lot feels rushed or cut.

For example, Jasper, with him not being Liv’s crush, new brother, or connected strongly to the mysterious Anabel, doesn’t really provide much. We don’t meet his family, get to know anything about him besides he is into basketball, and it makes you think more could have been done if this was a series.

An idea would be, each episode focuses on the dream and nightmare of someone and allows us to see their world further. This would help build a better connection with characters like Jasper and provide more heart for storylines like Liv’s relationship with her dad and her guilt over what led to his death.

Good If You Like

• Teenagers tapping into the supernatural or occult and ending up in life-or-death situations

Recommendations

If you like this movie, we recommend:

1. After The Dark (The Philosophers)

Check out our movies page for our latest movie reviews and recommendations.

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