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,...
You can always count on Nicolas Cage to take on projects with interesting subject matter, and “Dream Scenario” is one of his more unforgettable roles to date. This abstract, satirical social horror film from writer / director Kristoffer Borgli is offbeat, uncomfortable, bizarre, and challenging in ways that will be off-putting to some viewers. Luckily, this nightmarish tragicomedy movie is blessed with a wildly creative premise, an impressive lead performance from Cage, and clever commentary about modern celebrity culture and the pitfalls instant fame.
Evolutionary biologist and tenured college professor Paul (Cage) is a hapless family man and a bit of a schlub. Nothing seems to be going right in his life and after a string of disappointments, Paul is feeling even more dispirited than usual. His world is soon turned upside down when, as a result of a strange metaphysical phenomenon, millions of random strangers across the globe suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. He quickly goes viral on social media and becomes an instant celebrity. Struggling to navigate his newfound stardom, Paul makes some bad decisions that are of his own doing, but he also begins to face real life consequences for something over which he has no control: the dreams of strangers.
Borgli’s script is wickedly inventive, using elements of comedy, horror, and sci-fi to hurl jabs at cancel culture and the cult of celebrity. The script examines the very real problem of human perception and the tendency we have to create unfounded fears in own minds, which can in turn ruin the lives of others. It’s a story that’s rich with surreal existentialism that takes a shocking turn from quirky to extremely dark and disturbing. There are a lot of sophisticated themes at play which means Borgli presents big ideas can sometimes feel unresolved in a frustrating way, but there’s clearly a lot of deep thought that went into crafting his screenplay. It may not be perfect, but he scores major points for originality.
The best surprises in “Dream Scenario” are waiting to be experienced by audiences who go in knowing as little as possible about the premise. This awkward, eccentric film is one that will make you laugh while simultaneously causing a great deal of discomfort.
