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Dream Scenario

The 100 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023

Dream Scenario

2023

Kristoffer Borgli

Nicolas Cage, Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows ...

6.7

3,298

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

	Media	Author	Review
		Peter Debruge Variety	"In a career of more than 100 credits, this nightmare ranks among Nicolas Cage’s best (...) The 'National Treasure' star makes the most of it in 'Sick of Myself' director Kristoffer Borgli's brilliant look at viral celebrity."
		David Fear Rolling Stone	"Part horror movie and part sideways swipe at cancel culture (...) 'Dream Scenario' is the sort of high-concept, surreal comedy that Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, and Charlie Kaufman used to do on the regular"
		Michael Rechtshaffen The Hollywood Reporter	"The production gives us a Cage character we haven’t really seen before, in whiny victim mode, and he turns it into a master class in reactive comic acting"
		Charles Bramesco The Guardian	"Borgli dexterously skewers a callous culture that cultivates, digests, and disposes of its novelty acts with the blazing-fast speed of a good WiFi connection. (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Ross Bonaime Collider	"Odd, hilarious film (...) [It] is like a strange dream that doesn’t quite go in the direction you would’ve hoped, but still, you’re glad you got to experience that vision"
		David Ehrlich IndieWire	"Borgli delivers his funniest and most complete film yet (...) Paul is every bit as pathetic and annoying as any of the online personalities we live with every day"
		Robert Daniels Screendaily	"An ambitious, often provocative interrogation of masculinity, cancel culture, social media, and the power of celebrity through a humorous lens"
		Nick Allen rogerebert.com	"It is what it criticizes, but with no great statement or great pivotal scene, just intriguing, oddball amusement (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"
		Mark Hanson Slant	"[It] presents a perfectly absurdist setup that allows Cage to flex his singular acting muscles in increasingly hilarious directions (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"
		Peter Howell Toronto Star	"One of the best roles of [Cage's] career as he rages from comic to horrific, sometimes in the same moment (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"
		Maxwell Rabb Chicago Reader	"It is a real feat for Borgli, where a good comedy is few and far between"
		Rachel Ho Exclaim!	"Cage, Gelula and Borgli ratchet up the embarrassment to a degree of severe comedy and vulnerable humanity"
		John Nugent Empire	"Silly, strange, and very funny, Dream Scenario is a psycho-comic-drama with a peak Cage Renaissance performance powering it. Don’t sleep on it (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Katie Rife IGN	"The movie loses focus towards the end, but has a lot to say about fame and its consequences in the social-media era"
		Emily Gagne Dread Central	"This deranged and delightful horror comedy (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)"
		Martin Tsai The Wrap	"Although its internal logic and messaging are at times muddled and not fully formed, 'Dream Scenario' still proves immensely entertaining (...) Borgli firmly establishes himself as an exciting talent to watch"
		Mae Abdulbaki Screen Rant	"[It] boasts a layered performance from Nicolas Cage, and thought-provoking themes that are well-executed (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)"
		Pete Hammond Deadline	"Comedy has been an endangered species in Hollywood of late, but if 'Dream Scenario' is any indication they just could come back with a vengeance if the right talents got their shot"
		Mick LaSalle San Francisco Chronicle	"The world has finally gotten weird enough that Nicolas Cage now makes total sense (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"
		Ian Sandwell Digital Spy	"Nicolas Cage's performance never falters once (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		John Serba Decider	"There’s lots to love about the ambitious 'Dream Scenario', so STREAM IT and let the debate about where it fits among Cage’s best performances begin, and thrive"
		Meg Shields Film School Rejects	"'Dream Scenario' is much more engaging and visually inventive than its provocative premise might lead you to believe"
		Richard Whittaker Austin Chronicle	"It's a performance that ranks with some of Cage's best"
		Matt Donato SlashFilm	"A sprawling dissection of subconscious desires and how marketable popularity spells doom for its subjects"

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