Hapless family man Paul 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.
Nicolas Cage stars as Paul Matthews, a listless family man and tenured professor with an affinity for evolutionary biology and anxiety regarding his own anonymity. One day, he discovers he has begun to appear in other people’s dreams at an exponential rate. He becomes an overnight celebrity and is soon showered with the attention he has long been denied. But when Paul encounters a dreamer whose visions of him differ substantially from the norm, he finds himself grappling with the Faustian bargain of fame as his dream-selves start inexplicably becoming violent within their respective subconsciousnesses. Co-produced by Ari Aster with a brilliant Cage and his iconic intensity, this dryly hilarious satire-cum-social horror affirms writer-director Kristoffer Borgli as an astute critic of influencer culture and societal groupthink, and a gifted purveyor of the absurd. [102 min; comedy; English]
"This is an ambitious, often provocative interrogation of masculinity, cancel culture, social media, and the power of celebrity through a humorous lens." — Robert Daniels, Screen International
"Cage slowly develops Paul's sense of moral outrage and disconnect from the standards of the world... It's a performance that ranks with some of Cage's best." — Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle
"Dream Scenario boasts a layered performance from Nicolas Cage, and thought-provoking themes that are well-executed throughout an imaginative film." — Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant
Any film screened at IU Cinema may contain content that viewers find sensitive or upsetting. Visit our Audience Advisories page to learn more.
