According to an Indian belief, a dreamcatcher lets the sweet dreams through but catches the nightmares. Arousing audience expectations initially by a poster with the image of a dreamcatcher, the movie promises to be a true thriller. Beginning with the successful character analysis of four friends, who share the common trait of being able to read others’ minds, “Dreamcatcher” depicts a story revolving around these four childhood buddies.
However, the film’s turning point, which involves a confrontation with an alien, suggests the disappointments to come. Adapted from a Stephen King novel, “Dreamcatcher” is, except for its start, a failure in general. It is as if the director and the producers attempted to intertwine two different genres while making “Dreamcather”. What they ended up with is an incoherent mixture of frames that makes the audience either say “Gross!” or laugh at the absurdity of the scenes. On the other hand, I appreciated the flashbacks that disoriented the audience’s understanding of time, and many of the film’s more expressionistic elements, like its use of blood. Neither these traits nor the successful score and cinematography are, consequently, enough to classify “Dreamcatcher” among the successful thrillers.
Cinemagoers may wonder why Oscar nominated director Lawrence Kasdan and actor Morgan Freeman wasted their talent and reputation on this film. Ending with the classical American “we save the world!” message, “Dreamcatcher”, I think, is a big waste of time.

Arzu Karaduman (AMER/III)