Dream Scenario movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Dream Scenario

This dark comedy is now playing in theaters.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 42 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: A-

IN A NUTSHELL:

A hapless family man finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. When his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Paul is forced to navigate his newfound stardom.

This movie is directed and written by Kristoffer Borgli. It’s already been nominated for a couple of awards. Congrats!

THINGS I LIKED:

I love that Nicolas Cage is making such a positive comeback. He took a professional nose dive there for a number of years, but he has so many raving fans who think he’s hilarious and awesome so much so that his recent films have been hits. Here’s another film they’re going to love. He does a great job creating a character that you feel sorry for as he transforms from a self-absorbed professor to a caged animal.
The entire cast does a great job and includes Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Dylan Baker, and more.
There’s talk of keeping a dream journal. Have you ever done that? One of my sons has been doing that for years and is fascinated by what he could learn from his dreams and if he can do lucid dreaming.
The film does an excellent job of taking a satirical look at what we do to be appreciated and get recognition from others. It reminds us not to dream our life away, wishing for our life to be a certain way while we don’t take action to make those dreams come true. There’s a great line from another movie I just reviewed that is applicable to this movie’s theme: “If you talk about something, it’s a dream. If you envision it, it’s a possibility. If you schedule it, it’s reality.” Check out my review of What Happens Later!
I loved the analogy of the zebras and how their stripes are designed to help them blend in with each other in order to keep them safe. It’s an interesting idea considering that so many people want to be unique and noticed. Did you know a group of zebras is called a “Dazzle”? Cute!

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

A better title could have been something like “Sweet Dreams” or “Dreams and Nightmares”. What do you think?
Act 3 feels a bit uneven from Acts 1 & 2.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Talk of sexual fantasies
Some profanity with F-bombs
A middle-aged, married man makes out with a college girl
Farting
Violence with blood
We see people die brutal deaths

THEMES:

Dreams
Wanting to feel and be important
The Mandela effect
Getting attention from others
Trying to impress others with recognition
Memes and going viral
Publicity
Marriage
Pop culture and zeitgeist
Stardom
Exploitation

FUNNY LINES:

“I hope I’m behaving through your dreams.” – Paul Matthews “Oh, no. You’re not.” – Molly
“So, I’m finally cool, huh?” – Paul Matthews “I didn’t say that.” – Hannah Matthews

INTERESTING LINES:

“Why me? I don’t know. I’m special, I guess.” – Paul Matthews (Nicholas Cage)
“You know, fame can come with some less desirable side effects. You should be prepared for that.” – Sidney