Dream Scenario is a surreal cringe comedy about boring biology professor Paul(Nicolas Cage) who starts inexplicably appearing in people's dreams launching him into internet/pop-culture celebrity.
Cage gives a masterfully pathetic performance, playing both the comedy and the sad tragedy of this hapless buffoon but he's doing more than the script in most instances, he's carving out this really unique, kind of fascinating character, in a movie that doesn't back him up. The supporting cast are all talented- its always a treat to see Julianne Nicholson(playing Paul's wife Janet), Tim Meadows plays the dean and Paul's friend, Michael Cera shows up as a douchy PR guy with the always pitch perfect Kate Berlant as his partner- but they are all very thin characterizations. The ideas take center stage in the movie and there are simply too many of them and as a result actual humanity and cogent narrative intent are lost. It is clear the characters are going through prescribed plot and real human behavior is sacrificed as a result.
Beautifully shot, particularly the multiple dream sequences, the film has an eerie visual beauty bolstered by an effectively haunting score. The production, all around, is evocative an assured. So, what's the problem? There's too much going on. Is it about dreams/spirituality/the collective unconscious? Is it about viral fame? Cancel culture? Boomers? Incels? Mid-life crisis? The answer seems to be all of the above. And in making feints at all these themes but never really developing any of them all-in-all its a hodge-podge of scenes loosely connected by an admittedly great lead performance. It fails to come together to actually say much of anything when it is clear that its trying to say something.
Ambitious, well made, and a stupendous Cage make for a film that exceeds its grasp.
Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.
Rent It.
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