Death is, undeniably, the one thing that unites us all. Themes of grief and healing tend to have a sort of universal appeal. Director Nacho Vigalondo combines the sci-fi edge of Inception with the dreamy, fantastical elements of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to bring us 2024’s Daniela Forever. Henry Golding plays Nicolas, a man introduced to an experimental pilot program that uses lucid dreaming to find closure after loved ones unexpectedly pass on. At first, the opportunity seems great – but when Nicolas abuses his newfound power to connect with Daniela (Beatrice Granno) in ways he shouldn’t, the unintended consequences prove to be too much.

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The business of mourning is a lucrative one, and while we used to have nothing but photos and videos to remember the dead, the advent of AI is making “reconnecting” with lost loved ones feel increasingly real. Daniela Forever explores the negative aspects of this possibility, and why hanging onto memories in such a tangible way might actually do more harm than good.

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Vigalondo doesn’t pander to his audience, but perhaps he should, because at times the film feels disjointed and difficult to follow. The tonal inconsistency is also pretty jarring throughout, and moments of humor that aren’t that funny feel inappropriate and kind of silly, considering the subject.

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Henry Golding’s acting is stellar and picks up intensity with about a half hour left in the film, though whether it’s enough to justify sitting through the first 90 minutes is debatable. There are a lot of good ideas here, but in the end, Daniela Forever feels like a mashup of a lot of better films crammed into one that’s much less impactful.