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Dream Scenario

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Dream Scenario
Teaser poster
Directed byKristoffer Borgli
Written byKristoffer Borgli
Produced by
  • Lars Knudsen
  • Ari Aster
  • Tyler Campellone
  • Jacob Jaffke
  • Nicolas Cage
Starring
CinematographyBenjamin Loeb
Edited byKristoffer Borgli
Music byOwen Pallett
Production
companies
Distributed byA24
Release dates
  • September 9, 2023 (2023-09-09) (TIFF)
  • November 10, 2023 (2023-11-10)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$215,552[1]

Dream Scenario is a 2023 American black comedy fantasy film written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli. It is produced by Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen under their Square Peg banner, alongside Nicolas Cage, Jacob Jaffke and Tyler Campellone. The film stars Cage, Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Dylan Gelula and Dylan Baker.

Dream Scenario premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2023. It was released in select theaters by A24 on November 10, 2023, and will expand on November 22, 2023.

Plot

Biology professor Paul Matthews starts inexplicably appearing in the dreams of people around him, and his journalist ex-girlfriend asks to write an article about these occurrences. She links his Facebook profile to them when it publishes, making him realize that people all over the world are dreaming about him in some way. While he revels in the attention that brings, he is frustrated by his depiction in the dreams as passive and uninteresting.

After a mentally ill person sees Paul in his dreams, he breaks into his house and tries to kill him, prompting Paul to sign with a PR firm following the home invasion. An assistant admits to Paul that she has had erotic dreams about him and they attempt to reenact one despite Paul being married, but he prematurely ejaculates and leaves humiliated. As he learns that a colleague of his published a paper on the subject he was thinking of writing a book on, Paul's presence in the dreams becomes actively violent and hateful, doing damage to him and his wife Janet's careers, as well as straining his relationship with the rest of family.

Paul becomes more confrontational as people begin to harass him, redirecting his anger at Janet after getting into a brawl. Upon having a nightmare about him being killed by himself, Paul releases a self-pitying apology video, and a humiliated Janet forces him to move out. That night, Paul tries to force his way into his younger daughter's school play only to be kicked out other attendees, accidentally injuring a teacher in the process.

Some time later, the dreams have stopped, and dream-traveling technology has been invented in light of Paul's outburst, primarily to be used for advertising. With Janet dating her co-worker and having separated from Paul, he goes on a mediocre tour in France to sell his autobiography Dream Scenario, which unfortunately has been retitled I Am Your Nightmare without his consent. Paul later uses the dream-travel tech to venture into one of Janet's dreams and save her life while wearing an old Halloween costume, something of which she expressed earlier as her ideal dream of him. Paul wishes the dream to be real before floating away as Janet wakes up.

Cast

Production

In August 2022, A24 announced Dream Scenario which was written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli.[2] Nicolas Cage, Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Kate Berlant, Dylan Baker, and Dylan Gelula were cast in the film.[3] Ari Aster, Lars Knudsen and Cage produced the film.[4]

Filming

Principal photography commenced in Toronto in October 2022 and wrapped that November.[5][6]

Release

Dream Scenario premiered as the opening film in the Platform Prize program at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2023.[7][8][9] It was released by A24 on November 10, 2023.[10][3] Distribution in Canada, New Zealand and Australia will be handled by VVS Films.[11]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 109 reviews are considered positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Come to Dream Scenario for career-highlight work from Nicolas Cage—and leave mulling over everything it has to say about pop culture's fickle whims."[12] As per Metacritic, the film has received "generally favorable reviews", with a weighted average score of 72/100 based on 37 critics' ratings.[13]

The film is "a bold statement that is bound to make a name" for Borgli, Kyle Smith wrote in the Wall Street Journal.[14] It's "such an imaginatively offbeat movie that it’s a shame it isn’t better," he added. Peter Bradshaw, in his review of the film in the Guardian, called it "very enjoyable" and a "smart film about the uncanny experience of fame."[15]

References

  1. ^ "Dream Scenario". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  2. ^ Kroll, Justin (August 30, 2022). "Nicolas Cage To Star In A24 Comedy 'Dream Scenario' With Ari Aster Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  3. ^ a b D’Alessandro, Anthony (August 14, 2023). "A24's TIFF Nicolas Cage Comedy 'Dream Scenario' Sets Fall Release". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  4. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (October 25, 2022). "Mare of Easttown Star Julianne Nicholson Joins Nicolas Cage in A24's Dream Scenario". Variety. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  5. ^ Atad, Corey (November 1, 2022). "Nicolas Cage Goes Bald For New Comedy Shoot In Toronto". ET Canada. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  6. ^ Harris, Peter (November 18, 2022). "Oscar winner Nicolas Cage finds filmmaker dreams in Aldershot - Ontario News". Canada Today. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  7. ^ Hazelton, John (August 2, 2023). "Toronto unveils 2023 Platform line-up; 'Dream Scenario' with Nicolas Cage to open". Screen Daily. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  8. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 2, 2023). "TIFF Platform Lineup Includes Nicolas Cage Comedy 'Dream Scenario' On Opening Night; Barry Jenkins, Nadine Labaki & Anthony Shim To Serve On Sidebar Jury". Deadline. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  9. ^ "Dream Scenario". TIFF. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  10. ^ Welk, Brian (August 30, 2022). "Nicolas Cage to Star in Comedy Dream Scenario for A24". The Wrap. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  11. ^ Frater, Patrick (October 18, 2023). "Canada Distributor VVS Films Expands to Australia, New Zealand With Nicolas Cage's 'Dream Scenario' Set as Debut (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  12. ^ "Dream Scenario". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 13, 2023. Edit this at Wikidata
  13. ^ "Dream Scenario". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  14. ^ Smith, Kyle (November 9, 2023). "'Dream Scenario' Review: Nicolas Cage in a Fable of Fame". The Wall Street Journal.
  15. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (November 10, 2023). "Dream Scenario review – Nicolas Cage's Nicolas Cagiest performance yet in viral fame comedy". The Guardian.


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