The Sandman spoilers won't be found in this review.
The more you read about The Sandman, the more you'll hear that this is really a story about storytelling. And that's true. Because while The Sandman is technically about Morpheus, a pasty chap who happens to be the personification of dreams, DC's cherished comic book series explores so much more than just the world of this one character.
Across those first 75 issues, not to mention all of the specials and spin-offs that followed, Neil Gaiman's magnum opus uses dreams as a gateway into mythology, history, and a deconstruction of reality itself. What is a story if not a shared dream? Dreams aren't real, we're told, yet dreams and stories hold the power to shape reality in the waking world too by fundamentally changing both storytellers and listeners alike.
It's curious then that The Sandman is notorious for being a tricky story to adapt and retell in other mediums. While a recent Audible version was well-received by fans, efforts to bring Morpheus to life on screen have been a literal nightmare for everyone involved.
At Sandman's world premiere, the original spinner of dreams himself, Neil Gaiman, said: "I've spent over 30 years stopping versions of The Sandman being made". He's not kidding either. Morpheus is no stranger to the depths of Hell, and the same can also be said for countless movie adaptations which have long languished in development hell.
As far back as 1991, Hollywood has tried to capture The Sandman's essence on screen only to fail, time and time again. Roderick Burgess they ain't.
One version of the script was so bad that Gaiman described it as "not only the worst Sandman script I've ever seen, but quite easily the worst script I've ever read" (via ScreenRant). Despair would have had a field day with that one, it seems.
Eventually, The Sandman was deemed unfilmable in movie form. As Gaiman put it at this year's Comic-Con, making just one film out of 3,000 comic book pages was like "trying to put the ocean in a vase". Morpheus probably wouldn't struggle with that feat too much, but it's another matter entirely for us mere mortals.
In order to do the material justice, a decision was then made to try for TV instead. Eric Kripke took a stab at Sandman prior to The Boys, but it was David S Goyer and Allan Heinberg who finally won out with a Netflix deal in 2019. And now here we are with ten hour-long (ish) episodes adapted from the first two arcs named Preludes & Nocturnes and The Doll's House.
That's quite the story, but what about the actual story of the show itself? Is this new Sandman the stuff that dreams are made of? Or should it have stayed in development hell where many reckoned it belongs?
After binging all ten episodes more than once, it brings this long-time fan so much joy to reveal that The Sandman is far, far better than it has any right to be.
So much of the source material is adapted faithfully here, but enough is changed or expanded on to make this "ocean" of a text fit almost seamlessly into what's essentially a bigger "vase". And crucially, the parts that have been altered or added feel like they always belonged here.
Neil Gaiman's fingerprint is all over these ten episodes, much like other successful adaptations of his work such as Good Omens and American Gods. It's worth noting though that just like his original comics were actually a collaboration with many phenomenal artists, inkers, letterers, and more, the same can also be said for Sandman the show as well.
In fact, that's even more true here given the scale of this production. Netflix really put their whole Netussy into this project, showering the visual effects team with the kind of money that puts Marvel's team to shame. Well, we don't actually know if that's true, but it sure looks like they did, because so many scenes here look like they were plucked directly out of Gaiman's mind courtesy of Morpheus himself.
From our arrival in The Dreaming to Sandman's own return to this realm, the first episode alone looks far more stunning – and expensive – than almost any of Netflix's other big hitters. Only Stranger Things can rival Sandman in this regard, which is impressive given how much more Gaiman's show relies on these kinds of otherworldly visuals.
Within minutes, you'll be screaming "Hang it in the Louvre" at your screen, only to then be greeted with something even more beautiful until your voice is left hoarse by episode two. But you'll want to keep binging anyway, because The Sandman has a canny knack of ending each episode with something that pulls you back in for more, even if some of those earlier instalments do feel more standalone.
Now, this is where the storytelling does falter slightly. While the writers do an admirable job of threading these individual chapters together with longer, serialised arcs, it feels like the first season comes to a natural end with episode six, only to start up again with a new, slightly weaker arc in the back half.
The Doll's House numbers among the very best Sandman stories ever written, and while standout moments like the serial killer convention translate well here, there are moments where the narrative drags on somewhat or even confuses with a few jumps in logic.
There's a lot to love about those final four chapters still, but their ambition rarely lives up to the episodes that precede it. Perhaps a mid-season split would have benefitted the show, creating some distance between these first two halves so that they can stand on their own two feet.
Looking back, the moments that will likely get fans talking most can be found in earlier chapters like 'A Hope in Hell', where Morpheus battles Lucifer, or 'The Sound of Her Wings', where Dream's sister, Death, will leave you weeping.
Even with so many standout moments like these to choose from, none of this would work if not for the cast that's been assembled here. We could talk endlessly about the talent that's involved, but Dream's aforementioned sister will come for us all eventually, so we'll have to make do with a few highlights.
There will undoubtedly be a lot of fanfare around Gwendoline Christie's Lucifer and Kirby Howell-Baptiste's Death, which is particularly satisfying given the whining we heard from a few bigoted trolls when their castings were first announced. The same also goes for Jenna Coleman's gender-flipped role as Johanna Constantine, which pretty much demands to be expanded in a sorely-needed spinoff.
But pretty much everyone in this cast gives it their all, including an extremely creepy David Thewlis and also Vivienne Acheampong, who is beyond charming in the role of Lucienne. On top of all that, Boyd Holbrook gives a career-best performance as The Corinthian, an escaped nightmare who is also charming in a very different, far more sinister way.
And then, of course, there's Tom Sturridge, who plays the King of Dreams himself. So much hinged on him getting this right, and thankfully, Tom exceeds all expectations.
It's easy to see why Gaiman and Heinberg ended up casting Sturridge out of all the thousands who auditioned. From his comic-book accurate physicality to that deep, hushed, yet commanding voice, there's an otherworldly aspect to Tom's performance that's carefully reconciled with the humanity that Morpheus often tries so hard to repress.
Mason Alexander Park's take on Desire also feels ethereal in a god-like sense, but while Morpheus holds back, Desire goes all-in, fully embracing every impulse and, well, desire.
With this kind of role, there's a risk of hamming things up too much, taking that arrogance in a pantomime direction, but Mason revels in the part without letting it consume them. Behind every action and every word, there's an underlying sense of danger to their performance that's thrilling to watch.
If only we could have seen more of this in season one. That's a common complaint we're sure many fans will echo in the coming days. If only there was more Lucifer... and Death... and The Corinthian... and Desire... and Constantine... and the list goes on.
As far as complaints go, that's a pretty great one to have. The vast majority of this cast is too good in each of their chosen roles, so we end up feeling cheated when they don't get as much screen time as we would like.
Morpheus himself once said in the comics that: "The price of getting what you want is getting what you once wanted". But all this desire can only be a good thing when it comes to The Sandman, assuming of course that Netflix does in fact bring everyone back for a second season.
After stopping various versions of The Sandman from being made, Gaiman's team has finally achieved the impossible by creating something that fans have long hoped for, but didn't dare dream for. And now that the show has finally arrived, we can't wait to share this story, this dream, with the rest of you back home.
The Sandman is now available to stream on Netflix.
The Sandman Volume 1: 30th Anniversary Edition: Preludes and Nocturnes
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After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
