One of the most bizarre movies I’ve ever seen was the horror flick Hereditary.
I viewed it upon my aunt’s request to find out if it truly would be “the scariest movie I’d ever watch.” My expectations stood high, and I was easily let down—I had definitely seen scarier films. Although it didn’t hit the top of my horror list, it was by far the most disturbing thing I’d seen on the big screen.
As usual, I decided to do my pre-viewing research, which led me to the production company, A24. Known for their style of panic-inducing movies—some include Midsommar and The Lighthouse—I wasn’t surprised when their new movie gave me the same feeling.
Dream Scenario follows the life of an almost characterless evolutionary biology professor, Paul Matthews (Nicholas Cage). His biggest dream is to write a book, but he remains too caught up in the mundane routine of his life to pursue the idea; however, his life takes a dramatic turn when everyone begins to approach him, saying he’s been in their dreams. Almost overnight, Paul gains worldwide fame being the center of an unexplainable dream phenomenon. But before he can process the newfound interest in him, everyone’s opinions change for the worse. Their dreams become traumatizing nightmares.
Going into this movie, knowing it was an A24 production, immediately made me hesitant. I never quite enjoyed the incessant feeling of dread that coursed through me when I watched some of their other films. It’s never clear what will happen next, so I was constantly tense, waiting for anything to happen.
The reviews I’d read depicted this movie as being a comedic genius in terms of writing. Some parts were quite funny—one part in particular made me rewind because I was laughing so hard—but the “horror” tag describes a majority of the movie pretty well.
A big surprise was that there isn’t necessarily a soundtrack, which really helped lean into the eerie silence that plagued the screen most of the time. One of the things I deliberately search out in films is the background music, and it’s something that can be critical to my level of enjoyment. The lack of a score did disappoint me a bit, but it does, in a way, add to the climate of unpredictability that the movie centers around.
Generally speaking, the concept of telling someone’s story with internet fame—the perks and downfalls that come with it—was interesting to see. It was strange to witness Cage in the role of an unexciting, middle-aged man when I only picture him in National Treasure, but he embodies the dull spirit of the character surprisingly well.
From the very beginning, it wasn’t just the character’s lackluster personality that caught my attention, it was his absence of communicative skills. The entire time I felt like I was watching the human form of social anxiety; each interaction became harder and harder to watch. I’m aware that Cage has played some unusual people, but Paul has to be near the top of the list.
Although this film revolved around the frightening nature of dreams, I had no issue going to sleep afterward. Being placed in the “horror” category, I was once again let down as Dream Scenario was a mediocre picture at best.
