Kristoffer Borgli | 1hr 41min
The nature of celebrity culture is a fickle thing for Professor Paul Matthews, as wild and unpredictable as those strangers’ dreams across the world that star him as the main character. There is no rational reason for why they started, and there is no explanation why his role in them suddenly evolves from passive bystander to monstrous villain. Perhaps it is a reflection of his own insecurity, feeding a disastrous loop of self-loathing that amplifies the more he worries about the way others are perceiving him, though director Kristoffer Borgli is evidently more interested in Dream Scenario’s metaphysical allegory than its hard logic. Paul’s sudden rising star comes with its own trappings that most regular people would be ill-equipped to handle, and especially one as meek and obsessively self-conscious as this “inadequate loser.”
The combination of Nicolas Cage’s eccentric neurosis and a lightly absurdist screenplay that exposes an anxiety-ridden dork no doubt has the essence of Charlie Kaufman’s insanity baked into its conception, with notable touches of both Adaptation and Being John Malkovich thrown in the mix. Borgli delights in the feverish surrealism of his characters’ dreams, initially drawn from the sheer incongruity of seeing Cage’s nonchalant reactions to extreme disasters and emergencies, before escalating into psychotic horror scenarios that have him violently killing people Freddy Krueger-style – and this movie reference does not go amiss either. Whether he is casually watching one of his students be chased by a tall, bloody man through a field of tuxedoed men, or maniacally marching down a dark corridor to his daughter’s bedroom with a frightening grin, Dream Scenario is at its strongest exploring the irrational language of the human subconscious.
Although Paul is at the centre of this whole phenomenon, the fact that he is not experiencing these dreams himself ironically places him on the outside looking in. The hushed whispers between his students in the early days quietly single him out as a freak, and when the media eventually turns him into an idol, he can only approach his newfound fame with awkward, confused laughs. An amusing turn from Michael Cera as the head of an agency for unconventional celebrities simply called ‘Thoughts?’ further strains the tension between Paul’s integrity and readiness to sell out all his ideals too, as well as his own loyalty to his wife when the opportunity arises.
The true danger of Dream Scenario arrives though in the target that is effectively placed on Paul’s back, teased early on when a disturbed stranger breaks into his home with death threats, and arriving in full force when these dreams suddenly turn into nightmares that plunge his reputation into total infamy. Of course, this shift is not totally in his control, but is that not the nature of widespread public opinion?
As a frustrated Paul lashes out, records insincere apology videos, and continues to be harassed by strangers totally convinced of their own judgement, it gradually becomes clear that Borgli isn’t quite sure how to stick the landing besides letting it fizzle out with his character’s dwindling 15 minutes of fame. Dream Scenario is not especially profound in its interrogation of cancel culture, though it does display flashes of creative inspiration in Paul’s characterisation, comically framing multiple lines of the company name ‘Thoughts?’ behind his overthinking head, and weaving in his evolutionary biology background through a fitting zebra motif. The animal’s natural ability to camouflage within crowds closely aligns with Paul’s desire to sink back into obscurity, effectively using inconspicuousness as a survival mechanism to preserve a safe, boring life. If he is going to stand out to anyone as a “remarkable nobody,” then it isn’t going to be for strangers, young women, or fellow celebrities. The only people whose approval he needs are those who already know him better than everyone else, and who only ever dream about him being the best version of Paul that he can be.
Dream Scenario is currently playing in theatres.
it is obvious his actions in the dreams come from his subconscious affected by real world stimuli. Right after he raged about the woman stealing his ideas and his phrase “antelligence” that’s when he gets .ire angry.
That’s a good point.