A sharp-eyed satire set on a sugar plantation on an Indonesian island in the final years of the Dutch colonial era, Ena Sendijarević’s (Take Me Somewhere Nice) second feature is a potent reminder that European colonialism did not come to a tidy ending in the innumerable countries it affected (to say nothing of the neocolonialism still impacting much of the globe). Instead, Sweet Dreams provides compelling evidence of the mess these wider historical forces make in the lives of the characters within the volatile microcosm the director portrays so vividly.

For the family and business led by the imperious patriarch Jan (Hans Dagelet), the rot had clearly set in long before these events. That said, Jan isn’t around to see the changes to come, what with his sudden death after one of his nightly visits to the room of Siti (Hayati Azis), his Indonesian housekeeper. With the disorder in the household further compounded by a workers’ protest, his widow Agathe (Locarno winner Renée Soutendijk) demands the return from Europe of Jan’s pompous son Cornelius (Florian Myjer) and heavily pregnant daughter-in-law Josefin (Lisa Zweerman). When they all learn of Jan’s decision to bequeath his estate to his son with Siti, the ensuing power struggles add a further degree of turbulence.

Realizing the promise she displayed in her first feature Take Me Somewhere Nice, Sendijarević delivers a film that’s remarkable for its ruthless intelligence, visual flair, and astute take on the ways personal relationships can be poisoned by the systems and structures in which we operate.

For in-depth thoughts on Sweet Dreams, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Sweet Dreams makes its Blu-Ray debut with a stunning 1080p video presentation that showcases the rich cinematography well. The period production design and shooting locations provide crystal clear textural details. The black levels veer close to banding in a few scenes, but largely they maintain their depth. The flesh tones are natural with a sumptuous amount of detail present in close-ups. The image is textured with a nuanced, natural color palette popping off the screen. The film employs some deep colors when the expanses of vegetation are featured, which makes for a very vibrant image. The presentation shows off an impressive amount of depth, especially as our characters sleek around the house. This Blu-Ray is a strong representation of this movie that should more than please fans.

Audio Quality

Dekanalog gives this Blu-Ray a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that is nimble and effective in translating the sound design. Environmental sounds of the world occupy the surround speakers in a very immersive way. When the characters are moving through the vegetation, some distinct ambient details flesh out the setting. Dialogue always comes through crisp and clear without being clipped by any competing sounds. The score is effective and well-balanced while maintaining its fidelity. Hard-hitting moments are a rare part of this track, but a few moments deliver some nice texture to the proceedings. The audio track provides a really favorable experience full of nuances that bring this narrative to life exactly how it was intended. This film is presented in the original Dutch and Indonesian with optional English subtitles.

Special Features

Interview with Writer/Director Ena Sendijarević: A nearly 16-minute interview with the director in which she discusses coming up with a follow-up to her debut, the obstacles faced during the pandemic, the location shooting, working with familiar faces, the look and sounds of the movie, and more.

Theatrical Trailer (1:51)

Booklet: A multi-page booklet featuring a Q&A with Ena Sendijarević conducted by writer Dana Linssen is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Sweet Dreams is a hypnotic feature outing that effortlessly brings its world to life without spoonfeeding you every historical tidbit or plot development. The movie is slyly hilarious while simultaneously exploring thematic underpinnings to perfection. The sophomore effort from Ena Sendijarević is confident and endlessly fascinating. Dekanalog has released a Blu-Ray featuring an exceptional A/V presentation and a great supplemental interview. Ena Sendijarević has proven herself to be a director who should have you first in line for her next project. Highly Recommended

Sweet Dreams is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Dekanalog and OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.