From A Nightmare on Elm Street to Inception there have been a fair few iconic films made about dreaming. Dreaming in cinema is usually a concept used for a cop-out. You sit there expecting a happy ending but wait, hold on, actually it was all a dream and reality is not what you think. It is a gimmick that was used a lot in films back in the 70s and 80s. You could argue that It’s a Wonderful Life was the one that started it all. But then filmmakers became more fascinated with dreams, and why not it is an intriguing premise. We have had horror films based inside nightmares, and epic heist sequences within a dream landscape. Now though we can add another film to this list with Dream Scenario, a more grounded tale around a fictional dreaming phenomenon.
Dream Scenario stars Nicolas Cage as Paul Matthews. Paul is a college professor, a nobody, an average guy with a family to support and a job he loves. There is nothing special about Paul. Drama suddenly enters his life one day when it is revealed that he is appearing in random dreams all around the world one day. In some of these dreams he’s wondering around gormless, others are more sexual in nature and then there’s the nightmares. The film leads up progressively to the nightmare phase of this phenomenon, but the journey there is exciting and intriguing. It feels almost like this is a real thing, like this actually happened, and apart from a little goofy bit at the end that feeling is sustained throughout the film to help ground it.
The highlight of the film is Nicolas Cage. He is his usual quirky, eccentric self. Cage is dialled back a fair bit as he doesn’t go over the top, and instead he restrains himself and he does a very good job at finding the fine line between believability and silliness. Cage brings Paul Matthews to life in such a way that he feels like a real person, with real problems and his own agenda when it comes to this dream stalking event. The people he meets and talk to all help to develop Paul into a bit of an egocentric character, and as Paul finds fame he soon uses that as a platform for his own self-interests such as writing a book.
Dream Scenario acts as an allegory behind the idea of becoming an “overnight celebrity”, which happens a lot in this day and age of rising musicians and influencers. We see the burden it has on his family and the consequences it has on his life as a result, some of which are terrifying and other consequences are less noticeable. It all comes together by the end and we see the after-effects of this peculiar narrative. The film never loses sight of Paul and this is his story it doesn’t go much into detail on the hows and whys that this is happening and instead, audiences are left questioning it themselves and making their own assumptions. This does help the film massively and by the end of the film you do feel a natural closure, and you do feel like you know a lot about Paul. Dream Scenario is fun and interesting while showing some deep themes. It is amazing that the film pulls it all off so effortlessly.
★★★★☆
4/5
Final Verdict:
Dream Scenario is an oddly quirky film with a lot of charm and a cast that helps to sell the concept in a grounded and realistic way. There are a lot of comedy moments, but I do wish they hit these a bit more harder because the film really sings in these odd moments. Nicolas Cage is relatable enough to feel like an everyman while also delivering another fantastic performance. With an allegory on fame and becoming a “celebrity”, Dream Scenario does a hefty job of feeling modern, relevant and mildly entertaining. It is an unusual film but that is why the film works as well as it does.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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