What’s It About
Hapless family man Paul Matthews finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. When his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Paul is forced to navigate his newfound stardom.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
In Dream Scenario, Paul Matthews, portrayed with a balding pate, gray woolly beard, and a collection of dad sweaters, emerges as an unlikely protagonist. As a tenured college professor, Paul inexplicably starts appearing in the nightmares of random dreamers. However, his role is a passive observer, never intervening in the dreamers’ crises or dispelling the monsters haunting them. This sets the stage for a darkly satirical exploration of our fame-obsessed and cancel-culture-driven society. Nicolas Cage delivers a performance that embodies a whiny victim mode that transforms into a master class in reactive comic acting. Paul, an evolutionary biology professor with aspirations of writing a groundbreaking science book, seems an unremarkable family man unlikely to invade the subconscious of strangers. Initially indifferent to the newfound attention, Paul becomes the epicenter of a dream epidemic, attracting the interest of social media marketing millennials, including Michael Cera, who is pitching Sprite product placements in Paul’s dream appearances. The plot twists when marketing assistant Molly reveals that Paul’s presence in her dreams is not benign, leading to a cringe-worthy waking-hour reenactment. The film cleverly blurs the lines between reality and dreams, as an opening sequence that appears as a real-life tableau is later revealed to be Paul’s daughter Sophie’s dream. As Paul’s dream cameos increase exponentially, the movie refrains from explaining the phenomenon, focusing instead on Paul’s reactions and those dreaming about him. From being a dream rock star to encountering real-world repercussions, Paul’s life spirals out of control. His once-solid marriage faces challenges, and his viral celebrity status takes a dark turn, with students feeling threatened by his real-world presence. Dream Scenario expands into a broader commentary on the exploitation of dreams and the unforeseen consequences of viral celebrity. Paul, who once yearned for anonymity, longs for the days when he was a human version of a lemming, blending in with the colony, oblivious to the world’s predators. The film skillfully weaves humor, social commentary, and surrealism, creating a unique cinematic experience.
OUR RATING – A DREAMY 8