Dream Scenario

In cinemas now

Norwegian writer-director Kristoffer Borgli’s feature debut Sick of Myself was noteworthy for its amusingly dark analysis of influencer culture, but was mired down by a deep-rooted cynicism which prevented it from unearthing a deeper meaning. Nonetheless, there was enough evidence in that opener to suggest that Borgli has a great film under his hat.

Dream Scenario, featuring Nicolas Cage at peak peculiarity, is almost that picture. Its screenplay focuses on an unmemorable biology teacher (Cage) who briefly becomes an internet sensation on account of his random appearances in hundreds of stranger’s dreams. Like Sick of Myself, the film can be interpreted as a misanthropic analysis of contemporary society’s relationship with critical and/or social acclaim, specifically how people feel they are deserving of it, irrespective of whether they have talents befitting of it.

Produced by Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen, the film is at its most effective when its protagonist is coming to terms with his new-found (and short-lived) fame, with highlights including the many and varied dream sequences (which are the perfect foil for Cage’s specific brand of oddity) and a meeting with a flash but empty-headed marketing agency that have some very underwhelming but amusing ideas on how to capitalise on the public’s unexpected intrigue. Indeed, I’ve not laughed so hard in a cinema since last year’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, confirming the notion that Cage is enjoying something of a purple patch right now.

Unfortunately, the film’s final act doesn’t entirely hold together, with Borgli’s pessimism once again taking centre stage and detracting from what is otherwise an intriguing analysis of societal quirks and the modern phenomenon of cancel culture. While I’m not one to deny a director their right to a modus operandi, Borgli’s habit of following up engrossing commentary with a churlish point and snigger at people who are already incredibly easy to dismiss has the disappointing habit of cheapening his otherwise excellent work.

While Dream Scenario is an excellent, highly amusing picture on the most part, I found myself once again wondering what could have been if its director’s screenplay had lasted the course.