Still, dreams can have a lighter side. The best example being The Wizard of Oz, which cleverly linked Dorothy’s real-world experiences to her magical ones in Oz.

MULHOLLAND DRIVE

Mulholland Drive, by David Lynch, is just as dark as you would expect, with Naomi Watts giving a vulnerability that makes the twist even worse. Better still, the film has just been named as the BBCs top film of the 21st Century by critics.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

The way Jim Carrey’s dreaming self fights back against the loss of memories – both hilarious and painful – made Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind a very rich film

THE FALL

The richest dream life in any movie, for me, is that in Tarsem Singh’s The Fall. It is wonderful to watch and gorgeous to look at.

SHUTTER ISLAND

The best use of this device is Shutter Island, where Leonardo DiCaprio’s dream break with reality is his way of coping with unimaginable pain and the denouement is heartbreaking.

THE LIFE OF PI

This same dark device is at the core of Life of Pi but somehow the story manages to take us in a positive direction, helping us understand why Pi did what he did, before we understand what.