Summary
How often do you dream of Nicolas Cage? An alternatively hilarious and unnerving look at the perils of instant fame told in the most offbeat way imagineable.
If we’re all being honest, you’ve dreamed about Nicolas Cage from time to time. Whether he’s hunting for treasure or watching Paddington 2 with Pedro Pascal, at some point Cage transcended mere stardom and became memetic. Which is kind of the arena that Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself) plays around in with DREAM SCENARIO.
Family man and college professor Paul Matthews (Cage) eeks out a nondescript existence. His life is defined by all the things he never accomplished, his wife (Julianne Nicholson) and two daughters. At least until he inexplicably starts appearing in the dreams of millions of people. His newfound fame brings unexpected opportunities and instant recognition.
Paul’s appearances begin as odd but passive, characterised by him simply observing some unusual or embarrassing act. As his life gets more chaotic so do their dreams. His cameos become more active and violent, and the public turns against him – even if he hasn’t actually done anything in real life.
DREAM SCENARIO begins with a Charlie Kaufman-esque intensity but with an even more sinister edge. Filled with Benjamin Loeb’s unnerving camera angles, Borgli’s whiplash editing, and that moody Owen Pallett score, Borgli builds an atmospheric dreamscape where the viewer can never fully trust what they are seeing. The base premise is sharp and well executed, at least for a time, and Cage gives one of his best performances in years. There’s a tangible frustration as the ends of the thread keep getting away from Paul, and Cage’s trademark hairpin emotional turns come to the fore.
Yet as a soft commentary on Instafame in the age of social media, and the consequential shunning of high-profile celebrities called-out for unacceptable behaviours, Borgli is less successful. Indeed, it doesn’t have anything new to say on the subject, and at worse it might be interpreted as crying foul against the progress of the movement. (Coming so soon after Tár, some may see unfavourable comparisons there as well).
Where DREAM SCENARIO ultimately lands feels like a turn or two too far, almost as if the final moments stepped out of another film (or Black Mirror episode) entirely. It ties the whole enterprise to one winking jab at corporate tech and advertising, undoing much of the atmosphere and moodiness Borgli so carefully builds in the first half of the film.
2023 | USA | DIRECTOR: Kristoffer Borgli | WRITERS: Kristoffer Borgli | CAST: Nicolas Cage, Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Dylan Gelula, Dylan Baker | DISTRIBUTOR: A24 (USA), VVS (Australia) | RUNNING TIME: 100 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 10 November 2023 (USA), 1 January 2024 (Australia)
