Have you ever found yourself daydreaming of happier moments from a relationship and changing how things happened in hopes of making it work? How far do you take it -before realizing you have taken away the autonomy of the other person, and they are no longer who you fell in love with? Now, add in the other person tragically passed away, and all you have are memories. A close friend of yours tells you about a secretive therapy being tested, and they get you into the trial. The therapy involves taking a pill, reading a prompt, and then falling asleep. At which time, you will have a lucid dream that follows the prompt. After waking, you then describe your dream to the team. After going to the clinic, going through the paperwork, and sitting down with the doctors, you realize you can hack the test and dream what you want to dream.
This is the premise of Daniela Forever, written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo. This filmmaker likes to push boundaries and see where he can take the audience. One of the choices used is that, while in Nicolàs’s (Henry Golding) dreams, the colors are vivid, a broad lens view and 16:9 aspect ratio are employed. This is mixed with “reality” being duller, filmed on a Beta cam, and shrunk down to a 4:3 aspect ratio.
There was too much trying to be covered, and this left me wanting. Golding gives a strong performance portraying a grieving man. With more material set in “reality”, I feel I could have connected better with the character. The psychological impacts will stay with me. How much was truly Daniela? How much was his ideal of Daniela? How much was Nicolàs learning about himself?
The story jumps around with the dreams, while the “reality” sections remain linear. The pacing also shifted from a good pace to a slower one, allowing details to come through more clearly. One of the details is the moments when a person appears to glow, as if in sunlight, while others are in darkness, and vice versa. Not only does this showcase Vigalondo’s artistic side, but it also supports understanding the story. There are other moments of slowdown that did not have key takeaways for me.
This is a charming piece with a new twist for romance fans. It will stir your emotions and hopefully create some discussion options for dinner after the movie.
Director: Nacho Vigalondo
Cast: Henry Golding, Beatrice Grannò, Aura Garrido
MPAA Rating: Rated R for some language.
Selig Rating: 3.5 stars
Runtime: 2h 21m
Release Date: July 11, 2025
Genre(s): Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Movie Site: Daniela Forever website
Trailer: Daniela Forever trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.