Dream Scenario is a must-watch for Nicolas Cage’s performance.
Nicolas Cage can be described as many things, but “ordinary” or “non-memorable” are typically not part of the conversation. In ‘Dream Scenario,’ the decision to cast Cage as a mundane man who passively shows up in the dreams of millions of people is an inspired choice by director Kristoffer Borgli, and Cage’s performance is one of his best in years.
Cage plays Paul Matthews, a college professor.
He hopes to one day write a book about communication between ants. He’s a relatively unextraordinary man with a wife and two daughters until he meets an old flame and journalist who claims Paul has recently been showing up in her dreams. She writes an article about the experience, which goes viral as millions claim to have seen Paul in their dreams. This newfound fame is amusing at first but comes with unforeseen consequences. Despite the eccentricity we know can come from Cage, he plays the boring, balding professor well. Something about his dream appearance is slightly unsettling and becomes more physically demanding as the film progresses. Cage is so aware of his persona and style that he can use it to his advantage in a character who is supposed to be unremarkable. It’s one of his best performances of the last decade.
The plot does not allow for overthinking.
When it comes to a movie like this, with a unique concept at the center of its plot, there is a tendency to try to over-explain what is happening, or the premise needs to be more balanced. ‘Dream Scenario’ smartly doesn’t explain why this phenomenon is happening in the first place while fully exploring the ins and outs of such a fascinating premise. It’s a dark comedy that can have you laughing out loud one moment while cowering in fear a few minutes later.
There are some memorable supporting performances from Tim Meadows as the university dean where Paul works and Michael Cera as the young, hip lead of a marketing firm trying to take advantage of Paul’s newfound fame. Julianne Nicholson is fantastic as Janet Matthews, Paul’s wife, tries her best to understand and accommodate Paul’s viral nature. Most notably, Dylan Gelula’s performance as an assistant at the PR firm is incredible. Her character’s experience with Paul appearing in her dreams leads to some extraordinary and hilarious moments that shouldn’t be spoiled here.
Verdict
I give ‘Dream Scenario’ 4 out of 5 stars. It fully explores a bizarre concept in its comical and horrifying nature. It’s seamlessly bound with an incredible Cage performance that should be witnessed. Read more Reviews on Nerdtropolis and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube.
Drew Munhausen
Media and Movie Mastermind who co-hosts the Moviegoers Society Podcast and Fresh out the Pod.