Genre: Fantasy/Horror
Director: Jennifer Kent
Writer: Chad Taylor
Based on DC Comics characters
Cast: Johnny Depp, Jonny Lee Miller, Aisling Franciosi, Elizabeth Debicki, Jodie Turner-Smith, Andy Serkis, Emma Corrin, Ciaran Hinds, Garance Marillier, Gbenga Akinnagbe, David Patrick Kelly (voice)
Plot:
PROLOGUE
In the Kalahari Desert, an old man recounts a story to his young grandson. The story goes that there once was a bustling city here, where human history began. The queen of that city was Nada (Jodie Turner-Smith), a stunning beauty whose aura was unmatched. That was until she encountered a man walking through her city at night, the formidable Lord Kai’ckul (Gbenga Akinnagbe). After approaching him, Nada learned of his title as the King of the Dream realm. Over the course of that night, Nada and Kai’ckul underwent a mutual courtship that ended with them making love just before dawn. When the sun arose and discovered what had occurred, it hurled fireballs onto Nada’s city until it was no more. Devastated by the results of her actions, she decided to take her own life.
THE SANDMAN: SEASON OF MISTS
Dream (Johnny Depp) patiently paces in his gallery within the Dream realm. He seems annoyed. Death (Aisling Franciosi) comes skipping in and she asks “what’s up?”. He angrily asks where she’s been and she reminds him that she’s a pretty busy girl. She asks why he summoned her here and he brings her to his dining hall, where she learns they are not alone. Most of their siblings, the Endless, are seated at the table.
Destiny (Ciaran Hinds), the elder statesman, who is blind but has seen everything since the beginning.
Delirium (Garance Marillier), formerly known as Delight, is the youngest of the bunch. Her hair changes depending on her mood but she is often now very angry.
Despair (motion-captured by Andy Serkis), at 300 pounds, is the largest of the siblings and wears no clothes. They mostly grumble instead of saying anything intelligible.
And then there is Despair’s twin, Desire (Emma Corrin). They are conventionally good-looking but always with a devious smile.
This is the first time in a while that six of the Endless have gathered in one place, so Death comments that this must be a special occasion. Dream looks Desire and says they must know the reason he has convened everyone here. Desire shrugs their shoulders. Dream says it is because he has suspicions that Desire has been meddling in the affairs of his realm, which is forbidden by their rules. Desire says it is funny that Dream has evoked the rules because they should talk about the time Dream chose a girl from the Earthly realm to be his lover, which — who woulda guessed it — is forbidden by their rules! Despair grumbles. Dream chastises Desire for changing the subject but Delirium, immensely confused, asks her brother if this is true. Desire says it is even worse than that. After Dream’s lover spurned him, he banished her to Hell for eternity. Delirium looks to Destiny and he nods his head, confirming this to be the truth. Dream, flustered by how things are spinning out of control, momentarily leaves the room. Death follows.
Dream says this is not the reason he called for them to meet. Death says she knows that what Desire did - impregnating a woman while in a coma - was wrong but that doesn’t negate Dream’s own wrongdoings. After thinking on it for a moment, he asks how severe his punishment for Nada was. Death says it does seem pretty unfair but there is still time to make it right. Upon hearing this, Dream shakes his head. He says that he and Lucifer are…not on good terms. She tells him that sometimes we have to deal with people we don’t like. Dream re-enters the dining hall and announces to his siblings that he will be traveling to Hell to free Nada. After he has returned, he will then deal with Desire’s misdeeds.
In Hell, a bleach blonde man dressed in a three-piece suit with angel wings protruding from the back paces furiously. Lucifer Morningstar (Jonny Lee Miller), in the flesh. Standing before him is Cain (Andy Serkis), Earth’s first murderer and now resident of Dream’s realm. Dream has sent Cain to warn Lucifer of Dream’s imminent arrival. Lucifer takes Cain on a tour of Hell, trying to understand Dream’s intentions. They pass by wretched souls, whose screams agonize Cain. Cain admittedly does not know, just that Dream didn’t want Lucifer blindsided by his arrival. Lucifer, seeing that Cain is protected by the mark of God, begins to use the various demons of Hell to torture Cain. It does not seem to be ill-willed, more just for Lucifer’s own personal enjoyment. Amidst it all, Cain swears that he comes in peace.
Dream ventures to Earth for his annual 100-year meeting with Hob Gadling. On the way there, he practices telling Hob that this may be the last time he sees him as he is heading to Hell and may never come back. Instead, he enters the tavern in Liverpool to find Lady Johanna Constantine (Elizabeth Debicki) waiting for him with a grin on her face. She looks the same as she did in the 1780s. He asks where Hob is and she says that is not a very nice way to say “hello”. He says shouldn’t she be dead but she shrugs and says perhaps she got what she was looking for. “Immortality?”. She smiles but then says “not quite”.
Before Dream visits Hell, Cain warns him that Lucifer seems to be in a foul mood - showing off the scars from his recent visit. Cain asks why things are so fractured between Lucifer and Dream. Dream says that Lucifer had something of his but Dream won it back in a battle of wits. Lucifer did not take too kindly to that loss.
Dream stands before the Gates of Hell but they have seemingly been left open. He begins making his entrance but something feels very off. And empty. He feels like he is walking into a trap so he stops to turn back but he hears Lucifer calling his name. As Lucifer approaches, Dream kneels but Lucifer tells him he looks foolish. Dream says he was just being courteous but Lucifer explains that he is no longer a Lord so there is no need to kneel. Dream is confused but Lucifer asks what is so confusing. He’s resigned and Hell is no his domain. Dream once again thinks Lucifer is trying to trick him into a trap but Lucifer motions for Dream to walk with him.
Lucifer takes Dream around as he begins closing every portal to Hell. Dream asks where all of the souls and demons are. Lucifer shrugs and says wherever they want to be. Dream asks why he is doing this and Lucifer explains that he is tired. Being the Lord of Hell - it can be quite a laborious job. He then asks Dream why he came here. Dream takes a moment before asking about Nada. Lucifer gives Dream a devious smile and Dream says “no funny business”. Lucifer says she is in possession of the demon Azazel and to watch out for that one. Lucifer says now that he has given Dream some information, he needs something in return. Dream looks on in anticipation as Lucifer pulls out a long knife. He asks Dream to cut off his wings. After some hesitation, Dream does this and Lucifer lets out an anguished sigh of relief. He then pulls something else from his suit: a key. The Key to Hell. Lucifer tells Dream to do whatever he wants with it but there will probably be some suitors for it. Dream asks what he plans to do now and Lucifer says he hasn’t thought about it yet. He wishes Dream best of luck with his old lady and then exits out the last portal of Hell.
On Earth, Death walks through Times Square with a look of horror. Every demon and damned soul from Hell has been let loose and are now starting to reign terror back on Earth. She goes to urgently contact Dream and realizes it is too late as he has now found out the state of Hell himself. He tells her that he might have someone he can contact her with that could help.
In no time, Dream finds an increasing number of esteemed visitors to Hell’s central fortress. He soon finds that Lucifer did set him up to some degree: he sent out a call to various Gods from different pantheons that he would be leaving Hell. They have taken that mean it is up for grabs. Norse God Odin has brought his two sons, Thor and Loki, to help prevent Ragnarok. Anubis, Bast, and Bes arrive from the Ancient Egypt pantheon with their wish to reform Hell. Susano-o-no-Mikoto, the Japanese god of storms, arrives on his own as he wishes to rule Hell in spite of his family. And this is only a few. Since he does not wish to rule Hell, Dream talks to each group individually and after that is completely overwhelmed from the different reasonings and bribes. He says that he will be making his decision in 24 hours time at the Suicide Forest.
Death travels to England where she meets up with Dream’s contact: Lady Johanna Constantine. Johanna says that she is surprised that Dream would think of her favorably after she killed his friend. Death says that he described her as a woman of initiative, which is just what she needs in this moment. Johanna asks what is in this for her as she actually likes a little chaos. Death says that Dream promised a reward of some kind. Johanna shakes Death’s hand and asks if this is what they call a deal with the Devil. Death shakes her head and, repeating a line that her brother once told Johanna, says that she’s not the Devil. The unlikely couple embark on a globe-trotting journey to wrangle the demons and souls now roaming Earth.
Dream stands before a decrepit dungeon in Hell, where Lucifer told him Azazel would be. When he enters, he is surrounded by darkness but smoke fills the air. Within the smoke, he can see what looks like space but sets of eyes and mouths with sharp teeth begin to appear. Through the mouths, Azazel (voiced by David Patrick Kelly) asks what business the ruler of dreams has here. Dream says that he is here to talk to Nada. Azazel asks why he would allow for that as he will probably try to let her go. Dream says he is just here to talk. Azazel says he has heard that Lucifer has left town. He and Lucifer used to rule Hell together until his old friend banished him here. Azazel says he will let Dream talk to Nada if he gives the demon the reins to Hell back. Dream says he can arrange for that and so Azazel lets him wander inside the smoke.
As Dream enters Azazel, he feels his skin burning immensely. Screams echo throughout as he wades through the tortured prisoners of Azazel pleading for help. After walking what feels like forever, he finally finds Nada alone by herself. She looks up and sees Lord Kai’ckul (Gbenga Akinnagbe), asking if he recognizes her. She peers back down, not wanting to look him in the eyes. He says he made a grave error in banishing her here but he is willing to do whatever he needs to do to get her out.
When she speaks, her voice is noticeably weak as the words struggle to crawl from her mouth. She asks if he remembers that day. He shamefully says he does, as both the pain and regret still linger within him. He was foolish and had interpreted her choice to die as a choice to reject him. She shakes her head and said it was a choice to join the people of her beloved city, whom she betrayed for entering a forbidden courtship. He swears that it was his fault, as the Dreaming are the ones forbidden from entering relationships with Earthly creatures. He takes her hand and says that he believed she was worth whatever punishment may come. He invites her to return with him to the Dreaming, where she will forever be Queen. She finally looks up and into his eyes. She kisses his hand but then rejects his offer. He bows his head and accepts her decision. There is, however, one last thing he can do to make things right.
In a hospital room, a baby is being born into the world. From a window outside, Dream watches on.
Back in Hell, Dream informs Nada that he will see that she is reincarnated back on Earth for a fresh start. He bows his head and bids her farewell.
Dream traverses through the various of landscapes of Hell to arrive at the suicide forest, where the various gods, angels, and demons wait for him and his decision. Foremost among them is Azazel, whom Dream promised the key to. He stands before them all and makes his announcement. He has decided to give the reins of Hell to…Lady Johanna Constantine. Johanna, towering over the rest, steps out from the shadows with a smile and Dream thanks her for helping his sister. He whispers to her that she is likely going to face some vicious backlash. She shrugs and says she likes a little chaos.
All hell begins breaking loose — literally — as Azazel angrily lashes out at the other visitors in response to Dream betraying him. Dream walks away as a large-scale chaos spreads in the background, vowing to return to his Dream realm for some momentary peace.
Miami, Florida
The noises of families wading in the ocean, teenagers throwing a football around, and Latin music playing in the background. The camera pans to a row of beach-goers sunbathing before finally reaching a pasty white man in a beach chair. The person comments how ugly the setting Sun is, but what else would you expect of a creation from the man upstairs? He lowers his sunglasses and Lucifer gives the camera a wink before sipping his mojito.
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