Dream Scenario (2023) might not be a perfect movie, but it’s a refreshing comedy that actually offers an interesting story and something to sit with.
Dream Scenario (2023) is a very interesting comedy. The film follows Nicolas Cage, a university professor living a pretty bland life. He’s kind of nerdy and awkward. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, people all around the world start having dreams about him. Even people whom he has never met before. This becomes a phenomenon, and he gets thrown into the public eye.
We see a classic tale of someone being thrust into the spotlight who doesn’t really know what to do there. Not only that, it delves into Nicolas Cage’s character’s psyche, which he portrays really well. In a lot of movies, Nicolas Cage has to play the crazy guy or the one who’s super over the top. And in the dream scenario, he plays a more reserved character, which is a very interesting concept for him.
I’m a big fan of Nicolas Cage, but like other Nicolas Cage fans, I think there are a lot of movies that he makes just to get money, and they aren’t necessarily good. He’s always entertaining to watch, but now and then, you see him give an incredible performance. Dream Scenario (2023) is a strange A24 film. So it’s not very surprising that he is in this movie because he seems to really pick strange movies nowadays.
Beyond Dream Scenario’s(2023) interesting concepts and funny moments, I think it does have something to offer.
It shows how nearly impossible it is to keep a good public image for someone in the spotlight. Nicolas Cage’s character, Paul, has no say over how these dreams affect people or what kind of dreams they are. So in the film, we start to see people having nightmares about him, and then people start to hate him.
He can’t do anything about it, and he has to stay inside. Any time he leaves the house, people want him to stay away from them in any capacity. He gets kicked out of restaurants, stores, and even his job. He has to practically wait it out until the dreams eventually go away, and at that point, he’s just another person, but he lost nearly everyone around him.
At this point, I do have to say one of my gripes with the film is how it ends. I feel like the movie has a subpar ending for all the buildup. We really see how he handles everything in the spotlight, but we don’t get much time afterward to see the aftermath.
Once he’s no longer in the spotlight, we only get a little bit of time to see how he deals with life after that. I think the ending, while still touching and good, could’ve been a little bit better, and they could’ve expanded on what happened in the last 20 minutes of Dream Scenario (2023).
Dream Scenario (2023) definitely relies heavily on Nicolas Cage, but it also features decent performances from other actors, such as Michael Cera. He’s not in the movie a ton, but when he’s in, he’s hilarious. I think he was absolutely the perfect cast for a very lame PR manager. He tries his best to be very politically correct and say the right thing at all times, but he’s so awkward and goofy that it’s really funny.
He and Nicolas Cage are a great duo, and I hope they do more things.
Comedies can be hit or miss when it comes to actually having something to say. Or having something that leaves a lasting impact. But Dream Scenario (2023) is definitely a high-concept comedy film, and it has a lot to say about the subject matter. It has a super unique concept, and I wish it were longer; I feel like there are a lot of things to expand upon with this idea.
One day, it might be turned into a TV show, or it might be rebooted in some capacity. While A24 does own it, I do think that the idea can be expanded upon very well.
Dream Scenario (2023) leaves you thinking about Nicolas Cage’s character and the themes it explores. The film is definitely funny. It’s not a laugh-out-loud, all-the-time funny. It’s more situational humor, given the insane situations Nicolas Cage is put in. Now, I do think there are some scenes where the comedy falls flat or tries to be a little too over-the-top, given how serious the situation is.
Dream Scenario (2023) is funnier when it uses this kind of subtle, real-life humor.
More relatable humor with the characters being such strange and awkward people. It’s the kind of people you see every day and laugh at internally, but feel more validated seeing them in a movie. Not necessarily laughing at them, but laughing at the circumstances they get themselves into.
Dream Scenario (2023) also has some genuinely spooky moments, which is pretty interesting. I’m a big horror fan, and I didn’t expect the movie to have such scary moments for what it is.
Not saying it was super scary or should deter people who don’t like horror, but I was definitely surprised by a couple of scenes that would be out of any horror movie. Some of them can come off as comedy, but some very intense moments pop up here and there.
The film is shot beautifully, has great music, and has an awesome look. A24 does a really good job of having well-shot films. Sometimes their movies have more buildup than payoff, but Dream Scenario (2023) finds a fine line between being funny and entertaining.
It does have an abrupt ending, but it’s not as bad as some films we see nowadays, where an interesting concept doesn’t really go anywhere. I’m glad to see that Nicolas Cage is still making good movies, especially with Longlegs. I think he’s such a great actor, and hopefully, he continues to make films like Dream Scenario (2023).
