Dream Scenario

It was kind of hard to get into at first since the characters seem to come off kind of pompous and smug, which makes it hard to like them. Nic Cage's character comes off pretty pathetic and awkward - but that's the whole point. There were moments that were funny, but mostly I felt kind of uneasy. I think the camera was too close to the actors faces at times - that's probably what made me feel uncomfortable. It felt like I was invading their personal space. All that being said, this movie has probably one of the best fart scenes of all time. I would re-watch this movie just to experience that scene again lol.

Dream Scenario is a pretty interesting look at what social media fame - or just fame in general - can do to a person and all the negative effects that come with it. It also highlights the toxicity of cancel culture. I guess moral of the story is: don't go chasing fame. Although, Paul didn't really engage in pursuing fame, it kind of came to him through something that was out of his control. The concept of ant intelligence and how ants might share a sort of hive mind definitely was a really interesting concept. I love how they tie that into the main story of how everyone is dreaming about the same person. The concept of influencers invading people's dreams to advertise products was an insane concept. Overall, this movie was pretty darn good. It had an interesting premise and took a creative approach when exploring its different concepts. I'd re-watch this movie and I can definitely recommend it if you want something different.

First, I recommend going into Dream Scenario knowing as little as possible about the movie. Avoid trailers, even synopses (maybe even this review). Discovering the premise is as enjoyable as the rest of the movie.

But even after being amused by this unique and creative premise, it didn't seem like there was anywhere else for this idea to go. But there's no reason to worry. The directions it takes are just as creative as the premise.

Even though it's very different, this gave me Eternal Sunshine vibes, especially with how original it feels. The humor is fairly dry, which I normally don't like. But it made me laugh a decent amount, usually loudly. And there are a few moments that hit hard.

Nick Cage. Oh Nick Cage. I watch all his movies. Most are bad, but Dream scenario is part of the resurgence (along with Massive Talent). And even though most people just want to see his hilarious freakouts, here he reminds us that he is one of the most talented actors out there. I haven't forgotten. I would love to see it more often.

(2 viewings, 12/22/2023, 7/25/2025)

Dream Scenario is a really funny look at unexpected fame and how it's impossible to control how others interpret it. A be careful what you wish for story that's a lot stronger when primarily focusing on how fame changes a person than when it delves into cancel culture.

Uncomfortable with how his own image has been interpreted, Nicolas Cage is the ideal person for this. He plays the pitiful nature of Paul beautifully and brings none of the Cage rage he's synonymous with, in a nice change of pace. The film also feels aware of Cage's persona, understanding everything is funnier and weirder because it's Nic Cage specifically.

Kristoffer Borgli's direction really nails the dream sequences in particular. They're very surreal (obviously), brief and when they start to turn into nightmares they really don't hold back on the violence. It also has the second most hilariously awkward sex scene of recent memory, with Beau Is Afraid being number one which is so fitting since Ari Aster is a producer on this.

Horror Comedy? Uhm, yeah, no. Sure, there's a handful of funny moments and some scary stuff but it's far from being a horror comedy. This is a very traditional "Nicolas Cage" drama, through and through. It has an air of humor and awkwardness throughout all of it due to his performance, but overall, there's a bigger picture behind it. Oddly enough, in a lot of ways it felt like a very late companion piece to Cage's performance in The Weather Man, a movie where his character also deals with consequences of fame while dealing with a crumbling family life. The biggest difference is that Dream Scenario leans farther into the consequences of fame that celebrities never asked for and that consumers fail to understand because of the media. This is a very sad and upsetting movie that I would say accurately captures that feeling of not having control of your life. It's definitely among the best films I've seen this year.

After the first half hour of this movie, i thought it was going somewhere amazing, it was funny and clever and nic cage is just really good in the mane role.

But i don't think it did nt he 2nd half of the movie, it kind of faded out, and missed such a massive oppotunity.

It's still a good movie, but it completely went in a different direction in the last half hour than i thought it would. Which was just such a shame.

Such a missed oppotunity in my book, but still worth a watch. When the dreams turn darker i think there was such a great set up for a better last half hour or so. Shame.

Worth watching but didn't reach it's potential.