Sandman (Netflix): a dreamlike jewel that transports us between heaven and darkness

Do dreams affect the real world? Sandman, the new Netflix series, released this Friday August 5, plunges into the phantasmagorical universe that comes to life as soon as the eyelids are closed. This teeming dream realm, populated by legendary creatures, belongs to the king of dreams, Morpheus. In the guise of Tom Sturridge, the ruler of this kingdom, a figure inspired by the myth of the sandman, sails between heaven and darkness. The series takes us to a beyond, to the heart of the dreams that the king of dreams shapes. This story full of magic is carried by inspired British actors, who make this story built on quicksand credible. It took 30 years for this adaptation of The Sandmanthe famous comic book by Neil Gaiman (American Gods, Good Omens). It is a daring bet to develop this story of gods and demons, so deep and so rich, which may seem intimidating on paper, or reserved for an initiated audience, but on the contrary, can seduce everyone. The voice-over and the clear dialogues guide the viewer on this sometimes unsettling, sometimes breathtakingly beautiful, sometimes frightening journey.

A breathtaking visual universe

The codes of horror films – incantations, spells, sacrifices, terrifying creatures, disturbing mansions… – are at work to plunge the viewer into a unique atmosphere, which conditions him before making presentations with the heroes who haunt this fiction. bewitching. The production did not seem to skimp on the budget to create this visual universe which recalls pictorial works such as Lucifer by Franz von Stuck, The Nightmare by Füssli, or The Fall of the Rebel Angels by Peter Paul Rubens. One also thinks of the movements of symbolism, of the onirism of Black Romanticism or the colors of Caravaggio’s paintings. There is something baroque in the colors and the knots of the abundant plot of this atypical work, in which one slowly immerses oneself as in a lake of frozen water. Initially intrigued and fearful at the idea of ​​plunging into the unknown, we then let ourselves be hypnotized and we feel anesthetized by this icy and bewitching universe.

Sandman: A work rich in symbols

As in Neil Gaiman’s other creations, mythical imaginary figures and biblical references (The King of Dreams, the Angel of Death, Lucifer, etc.) are legion. The symbolic crow invites us to enter this series, which questions the mysteries of the soul and everything that happens when brain activity escapes the control of the body to take refuge in a sleep populated by living beings. The work recalls how rich the spirit is, the human being vulnerable and his soul abundant. Everything is underlined by an impeccable cast, led by Tom Sturridge, alongside Gwendoline Christie (Game Of Thrones) as Lucifer, Boyd Holbrook (Narcos) the Corinthian, Charles Dance (Game Of Thrones) Roderick Burgess or Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who, The snake). Sandman is a cerebral, mystical, dreamlike work that captivates and fascinates, and on which one continues to reflect once the screen is turned off. Whether you are refractory to magic, or who have the desire to escape a reality that is too gloomy, let yourself be seduced by this singular work which takes you out of your daily life and gives the furious desire to go and browse through books of mythology. to meet the creatures of the dream world.