Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Chris Nielsen dies to find himself in a heaven more amazing than he could have ever dreamed of. There is one thing missing: his wife. After he died, his wife Annie killed herself and went to hell. Chris decides to risk eternity in Hades for the small chance that he will be able to bring her back to heaven.
What Dreams May Come is most distinguished by its extraordinary visual imagination — the painted-world heaven sequences remain among the most audacious uses of color and compositing in 1990s cinema, earning a genuine 4 for cinematography. The premise is emotionally resonant and the film commits fully to its afterlife mythology, but the plot mechanics are somewhat clunky and the journey through hell feels narratively rushed. Robin Williams delivers a sincere performance and Annabella Sciorra is affecting, though the emotional beats can tip into sentimentality. Novelty is above average but not exceptional — the painted afterlife is distinctive, yet the 'hero descends to rescue loved one' structure is archetypal. The ending, while attempting emotional catharsis through reincarnation, feels abrupt and insufficiently earned given the weight of what preceded it, landing as the film's weakest element.