I think it’s safe to say that we never know what we’re going to get from Nicolas Cage. And that’s one of the things that makes him such a favorite among moviegoers. Cage is liable to pop up in anything, from gritty crime thrillers to cerebral dramas to bonkers off-the-wall comedies. If you need further proof just look at his latest film, “Dream Scenario” from A24.

Written and directed by Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli, “Dream Scenario” is a fascinating exploration of modern media culture, dressed up as a gonzo dark comedy with sinister undertones. Borgli’s story locks onto the fickle nature of fame in our current social media age – a time where a person can be elevated to celebrity status despite no real accomplishments and then tore apart and ruined despite no real offense. It examines how quickly someone can become a viral sensation only to be destroyed just as fast once their 15 minutes of fame is up.

Cage is no stranger to taking a character and walking the precariously thin line between playful and unhinged. But here he does it with impressive subtlety. He plays mild-mannered Paul Matthews, a tenured evolutionary biology professor at Osler University. The balding bearded Paul is about as ordinary and unassuming as a man can get, shamefully called “a remarkable nobody” at one point.

Paul lives a relatively quiet life. He’s been happily married to his wife Janet (Julianne Nicholson) for 15 years and together they have two daughters (played by Lily Bird and Jessica Clement). Outside of teaching and his family, Paul likes to think of himself as a writer. He’s hoping to publish his book which he has yet to start writing. And that is Paul in a nutshell. He’s the kind of everyday guy who you would walk by on the street and never notice.

But that anonymity changes after he inexplicably starts showing up in people’s dreams – family members, students, former girlfriends, complete strangers. People begin recognizing him on the street and in restaurants. And much to his chagrin, they all say the same thing. Regardless of what kind of crazy thing is going on in their dream, Paul just pops up, never doing anything, just strolling by and observing. Word gets to scientists who are baffled by the phenomenon and inevitably the media gets wind of it, turning Paul into an instant celebrity.

Suddenly the once ignored middle-aged professor is recognized by everyone and even has a marketing firm (ran by Michael Cera) wanting to represent him. He’s now loved by his enamored students and his daughters see him as a “cool dad”. Paul finds himself excited by the sudden wave of attention. But he quickly learns that fame can have strange and unpredictable consequences, even if you’ve done nothing to deserve them.

Borgli takes his story in a pretty dark direction yet maintains a slyly comic tone which surprisingly never clashes. Instead it gels into a movie that can be strangely funny and brutally heartbreaking at the very same time. Borgli isn’t particularly subtle with his messaging but his points are shrewdly woven into his story. Rabid fandom, groupthink, cancel culture, the dark side of celebrity, the perils of instant fame – they’re all topics that resonate within Borgli’s well-executed and highly imaginative metaphysical framework.

We never get an explanation for why Paul is suddenly appearing in the dreams. We’re never told why his noninvasive appearances take a nastier turn. Borgli doesn’t seem interested in the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ which is both admirable and a bit of a cop-out. And while it goes slightly off the rails in its final act, there are so many intriguing elements to “Dream Scenario” including yet another beguiling Nicolas Cage performance. He embraces every complicated facet of his character, making us laugh with his sheepish comic delivery and breaking our heart with his agonizing insecurity.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS