Dream Scenario

''Dream Scenario'' is a 2023 American black comedy fantasy film written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli. It is produced by Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen under their Square Peg banner, alongside Nicolas Cage, Jacob Jaffke, and Tyler Campellone. It stars Cage, Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Dylan Gelula and Dylan Baker. Cage plays Paul Matthews, a mild-mannered biology professor who begins appearing in the dreams of others.

It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2023 and began a limited theatrical release by A24 on November 10, 2023, before expanding on November 22. It received critical acclaim and was nominated for several awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Nicolas Cage.

Plot

Paul Matthews is a mild-mannered biology professor who begins appearing in the dreams of random people. In the dreams, calamity occurs, but Paul is emotionless and does not intervene.

When Paul learns an old colleague is considering writing a book on a topic he has considered writing about, he cannot find the courage to confront her. Paul's journalist ex-girlfriend, Claire, spots him with his wife, Janet, and tells him he appears in her dreams. With his permission, she writes an article about the experience, and hundreds of strangers recognize him from their dreams. While Paul enjoys the media coverage this brings, he is frustrated by his depiction in the dreams as passive and uninteresting.

Paul's wife, Janet, asks why he does not appear in her dreams. She describes her fantasy: Paul rescues her while wearing the oversized suit worn by David Byrne in the 1984 concert film ''Stop Making Sense''. A mentally ill man sees Paul in his dreams and breaks into the house with a knife, raising concerns about the risks of his fame.

Paul meets with a PR firm, hoping to get a book deal, but they attempt to convince him to advertise Sprite. After an assistant at the firm tells him about her erotic dreams about him, he attempts to reenact them for her, but he suffers premature ejaculation and flatulence and leaves humiliated.

Paul is enraged to learn that a former colleague has published a paper on the subject he was thinking of writing his book about. Paul's presence in the dreams becomes violent and sadistic, and he becomes vilified. He is put on leave after students refuse to enroll in his classes. Bystanders begin to notice Paul in public and are bothered by his presence, resulting in a brawl in a diner. After Janet's career is affected, she asks Paul to make a public apology, but he angrily refuses.

After Paul has a nightmare in which he is hunted and killed by a version of himself with a crossbow, he releases a self-pitying apology video. Humiliated, Janet throws him out of the house. Paul forces his way into his daughter's school play, but accidentally injures a teacher in the process and is restrained.

Some time later, the dreams have stopped. In light of the discovery of a shared subconsciousness, dreams have become an advertising space. Janet is separated from Paul and is dating a coworker. Paul goes on a book tour in France to sell his autobiography, ''Dream Scenario'', which has been retitled ' ("I Am Your Nightmare") without his consent. He uses dream-travel technology to enter one of Janet's dreams and rescue her while wearing the Byrne suit. Paul wishes the dream were real and floats away.

Cast

Production

A24 announced the film in August 2022, with Nicolas Cage, Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Kate Berlant, Dylan Baker and Dylan Gelula to be included in the cast.

Principal photography commenced in Toronto in October 2022 and wrapped that November.

Release

''Dream Scenario'' premiered as the opening film in the Platform Prize on September 9, 2023. A24 distributed it in the United States with a limited release on November 10, 2023, followed by an expanded release on November 22. Distribution in Canada, New Zealand and Australia was handled by VVS Films.

Reception

Critical reception

Kyle Smith of ''The Wall Street Journal'' called the film "a bold statement that is bound to make a name" for Borgli. Peter Bradshaw, in his review of the film in ''The Guardian'', called it "very enjoyable" and a "smart film about the uncanny experience of fame." Peter Debruge of ''Variety'' noted that "Borgli shoots the dreams no different from the waking moments, creating a kind of mind game for audiences, who must determine at any given moment whether the scene in question is real or imagined."

Jeannette Catsoulis of ''The New York Times'' wrote that the film is "often funny and frequently surreal" but said that Borgli had "more ideas than space to execute them," leading to a third act that feels "overloaded and indecisive of where it wants to land." Catsoulis also wrote that the erotic scene between Paul and Molly "could make you want to put your eyes out."

Accolades

References

External links

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{{Portal bar, United States, Film, Speculative fiction, Comedy

2020s American films
2020s English-language films
2023 fantasy films
2023 black comedy films
2023 films
2023 independent films
A24 (company) films
American black comedy films
Films about dreams
Films about educators
Films shot in Toronto
Psychological comedy films