Dreams are funny things. Everyone has them, yet we know very little about them and why they happen. A hallucinatory state-of-mind that can take you anywhere and everywhere. But what if someone – a stranger, a nobody – randomly started popping up in not just your dreams, but everyone else’s too. And to top it all off, what if that person was a schlubby, receding hairline Nic Cage!
That’s essentially the basic premise of A24’s latest surreal-comedy Dream Scenario. Directed by Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli and produced by everyone’s favourite freaky little weirdo Ari Aster, Dream Scenario is a sometimes hilarious, sometimes unsettling and sometimes satirical film that highlights the dangers of fame and virality.
Nicolas Cage plays Paul Mathews, an ordinary family man, tenured professor and struggling author who comes across as extremely unremarkable in every regard. That is until he magically begins to appear in everyone’s dreams. He’s not doing anything in these dreams, not at first, but he’s there! Suddenly, Paul’s world is turned upside down as he gains popularity overnight, but with his new found fame comes unexpected consequences.
The weight of this film lies heavily on the shoulders of Nic Cage, who is absolute comedy gold here. His little reactions, facial expressions and even the tone of voice in which his character speaks are all pitch perfect. He delivers some truly hilarious, awkward and sometimes emotional moments that only someone of Cage’s seemingly endless range could pull off.
He is perfectly cast as the ‘remarkable nobody’ that suddenly becomes a sensation, yet he has absolutely no control over any of it. It also works in a sort of meta-textual way, in that Cage’s own celebrity status has been somewhat exaggerated with the rise of the internet and memes, something he ultimately had no control of. A truly inspired bit of casting!
This is a genius concept for a film. Just imagine if someone randomly had the ability to pop up in everyone’s dreams, there’s endless possibilities to explore! While Dream Scenario doesn’t explore any of these ideas in as much detail as it could have, the commentary on fame and its unforeseen side-effects are shown in a darkly-comedic style that feels fresh and unique, and in a refreshing 102 minutes.
Dream Scenario is a strange and surreal dark-comedy which explores the effects of fame in extraordinary circumstances. Nic Cage’s performance carries the film emotionally, and while some of the commentary surrounding ‘cancel culture’ is a little obvious, it’s a fresh and entertaining approach to an inventive concept that will no doubt gain cult-classic status in the future.
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