
DREAM SCENARIO
In this surreal dark comedy, nondescript family man and college professor Paul Matthews (Nicolas Cage) inexplicably begins appearing in the dreams of coworkers, acquaintances, and even total strangers. Paul’s sudden omnipresence brings him a benign form of overnight celebrity, turning the formerly invisible everyman into a kind of lovable human meme. But things take a turn for the bizarre when Paul’s dream avatars begin acting out in frightening and violent ways, and soon Paul is forced to contend with the nasty flipside of modern-day viral celebrity. Norwegian writer-director Kristoffer Borgli made a splash with his riotously grotesque comedy SICK OF MYSELF (PFF31), an unsparing satire of influencer culture. With his English-language debut, Borgli (teaming with co-producer Ari Aster) once again tackles the nightmarish nature of contemporary fame and the fickleness of public opinion, resulting in his most impressive work to date. Featuring a career defining performance from Cage, this brilliantly layered, uneasy piece of thoughtful cinema will have you howling with laughter and squirming with discomfort.
CAST: Nicolas Cage, Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows
All sales are final. Admission is not guaranteed after scheduled start time.
CLICK HERE to return to the complete 32nd Philadelphia Film Festival schedule.