Daniela Forever (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain. 

Suffering after the tragic loss of his girlfriend Daniela (Beatrice Gannó), Nicolás (Henry Golding) joins a sleep trial that allows him to enter lucid dreams in which he can spend eternity with the love of his life. Daniela Forever analyzes loss in a way that feels unique, but effectively grounded and accessible–transcending the world of trauma in a way that feels fresh and welcome. 

A fever dream of a film, Daniela Forever transports viewers back and forth between reality and a dream world in which anything is possible. The constant shifts between worlds can be dizzying, as viewers are constantly being pulled in multiple directions and provided drastically different tones that work to frame Daniela Forever in a way that allows it to feel both fractured but truthful. 

Two distinctive worlds exist within Daniela Forever, and Writer-Director Nacho Vigalondo ensures that viewers don’t ever mistake one for the other. Nearly everything about the two worlds is different from one another, transporting viewers back and forth at the drop of a hat, but never mincing words or failing to allow viewers to become lost within the shifting narrative. The following is the best way that I can think to compare the two:

The Real World	Nicolás’ Dream World
Darker, often gritty visuals create a sense of unease.  4:3 aspect ratio works to close Nicolás off to the world, allowing him to remain more mysterious and honest.  Grounded in terms of its emotional relevance.	Slightly more vibrant than the real world, this dream world possesses more popping hues and visuals.  16:9 aspect ratio allows the film to become more immersive, accessible, and welcoming.  Often includes sequences that are otherworldly and uncomfortable/frustrating, which is the closest thing to a bridge between the two worlds.

I find Daniela Forever incredibly interesting, as it navigates the hard truth of often struggling to let go of the past. However, the narrative itself wasn’t something that greatly appealed to me. To be clear, I don’t believe that the narrative is necessarily flawed, but I struggled to become invested in Nicolás’ story as he attempted to rekindle the relationship between himself and Daniela. Daniela Forever works, but I’m not the target audience when it comes to this particular narrative. I strongly believe that Daniela Forever has the potential to resonate with viewers and find success (and believe that it ultimately will). Furthermore, it’s incredibly important to note that the final thirty minutes of the film sees another drastic change, this time in Nicolás’ character–making him interestingly more appealing and the narrative more intriguing to me as a result. 

Strong performances and intriguing world building are the cornerstones of Daniela Forever, making the film an immersive experience that will likely find a large audience. While the narrative itself isn’t one that I needed to see, there are so many aspects of this film that greatly appealed to me and were wonderfully brought to life. Daniela Forever is a successful romantic comedy that uses science fiction as a vehicle to bring it to life. It’s an effective blend of genres that transcends space and time in a way that feels unique and will likely lead to the film’s positive reception. 

Written & Directed by Nacho Vigalondo. 

Starring Henry Golding, Beatrice Grannó, Aura Garrido, Rubén Ochandiano, Nathalie Poza, etc. 

7.5/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING