Written by Ally Abruscato. Photo courtesy of SCAD Savannah Film Festival.
Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, “Dream Scenario” tells the story of Paul, portrayed by Nicholas Cage, as he discovers that he is appearing in people’s dreams worldwide. At first, the dreams are harmless and confusing. The movie depicts the inside of people’s minds as some force or another attacks them, and Paul stands idly by in his sweater and slacks. Once Paul goes viral, he is forced to deal with the consequences of fame.
If the plot sounds confusing, that’s because it is. At times, I saw how the movie attempted to expose the flaws in today’s society. It discussed cancel culture and the extremities of influencers and advertising. Yet, that didn’t seem to be the purpose of the movie. In the end, I couldn’t quite figure out the purpose of the movie. To make the audience laugh? To make them scared? To make people more aware of their dreams? To point out the dangers of capitalism? I’m not sure.
It is important to note that many of the dream sequences in “Dream Scenario” are violent and gruesome. Although they usually ended with a roar of laughter from the audience, they still felt like mini horror scenes. The sound editing worked well in creating tension in otherwise simple scenarios. Similarly, the effects were impressive and worked to make the dreams seem more realistic and frightening. However, all of this made my stomach turn. While it might interest some, I left the theater feeling disturbed.
Without giving too much away, I’ll admit that an emotional ending changed the film’s tone. I momentarily rethought my feelings, yet I couldn’t get past some graphic scenes from earlier. Also, there were still too many unanswered questions. Even though it had a typical run time of an hour and forty minutes, it didn’t feel complete.
All in all, I wasn’t the biggest fan of “Dream Scenario.” Nonetheless, Nicholas Cage’s and Michael Cera’s performances were expectantly stellar. It was funny and had the feeling of an SNL skit at times. I commend those who were a part of this film, but it was not necessarily my cup of tea.
As Editor-in-Chief, Ally Abruscato leads and supports a talented group of staff and contributors in pursuing their creative endeavors. At SCAD, Ally majors in Photography and minors in Advertising & Branding. She regularly offers pop culture insights through movie reviews, articles and her weekly column, “I’m Booked.” When she’s not writing or taking photos, Ally’s probably outside, reading or running.
