Dream Scenario (2023)
2023
R
102 Minutes
Hapless family man Paul Matthews finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. But when his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn,...
User Review
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WHAT I LIKED: Kristoffer Borgli's 'Dream Scenario,' is about an ordinary professor called Paul (Nic Cage) who starts turning up in lots of people's dreams. At first it brings him joy and fame as his family are excited by it, students start noticing him and engaging with his lectures, and he uses his notoriety to contact an ex colleague who stole his research and even ends up talking on TV. Soon after though, people start having nightmares about him, and he quickly goes from getting offers to be in Sprite adverts, to being beaten up and talking on alt-right podcasts about cancel culture.
That makes for an amusing commentary about the fickle nature of modern celebrity culture, and the effects of that on the individual are played brilliantly as Nic Cage goes from shy, awkward academic, to confused celebrity, to crushed and belittled loner throughout the course of the film.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: It's hard to empathise too much with Paul when he's such a naïve and passive character. He fails to see that his celebrity won't help his academic career or his family in the long term, and instead makes stupid decisions with it and only tries to plead his humanity when it's already too late.
VERDICT: A man lets fame wash over him as quickly as he lets everything crumble away, 'Dean Scenario,' is an amusing commentary on the fickleness of celebrity.0 member like this review.
