TrustNordisk has boarded international sales on Eirik Svensson’s Africa-set drama Safe House, starring Sick Of Myself and Ninjababy star Kristine Kujath Thorp.
Based on real events, the film depicts 15 hours at a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Bangui, Central African Republic on Christmas Eve 2013, when a Muslim man being persecuted by a mob entered the hospital.
Filming wrapped in South Africa in March, with dialogue on the film predominantly in English with elements of Norwegian, French and Sango, the national language of the Central African Republic. TrustNordisk will present the title and a promo to buyers at this month’s Cannes market.
Based on real events, the film depicts 15 hours at a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Bangui, Central African Republic on Christmas Eve 2013, when a Muslim man being persecuted by a mob entered the hospital.
Filming wrapped in South Africa in March, with dialogue on the film predominantly in English with elements of Norwegian, French and Sango, the national language of the Central African Republic. TrustNordisk will present the title and a promo to buyers at this month’s Cannes market.
- 5/8/2024
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Goodfellas and Utopia are teaming up to co-sell Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl, starring Pamela Anderson as a veteran Las Vegas showgirl reinventing her life, and will launch sales in Cannes.
The partners, who say the movie is already drawing international buyer interest, have released a first look of Anderson in the starring role.
Anderson plays a seasoned showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. As a dancer in her fifties, she struggles with what to do next. As a mother, she strives to repair a strained relationship with her daughter, who often took a backseat to her showgirl family.
Currently in post-production, the Las Vegas-set film also features Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka and Billie Lourd in the cast.
Kate Gersten wrote the screenplay, Robert Schwartzman (The Good Half) and Natalie Farrey (Her) produced.
The partners, who say the movie is already drawing international buyer interest, have released a first look of Anderson in the starring role.
Anderson plays a seasoned showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. As a dancer in her fifties, she struggles with what to do next. As a mother, she strives to repair a strained relationship with her daughter, who often took a backseat to her showgirl family.
Currently in post-production, the Las Vegas-set film also features Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka and Billie Lourd in the cast.
Kate Gersten wrote the screenplay, Robert Schwartzman (The Good Half) and Natalie Farrey (Her) produced.
- 5/2/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
[Editor’s note: This list was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated many times.]
With everything going the way it is in the world right now, we’re laughing to keep less cheery emotions at bay. At least this bizarre, still-very-much-in-progress century has already produced a slew of spectacular, silly, snarky, and cynical comedies: ready to fire up whenever you need a serotonin burst or distraction thanks to the ever-growing cadre of streaming services.
The pandemic may be in the rearview for the U.S. federal government, but the specter of war, a tortured economy, and human rights issues across the globe have occupied the minds of many instead. So, in desperate need of some humor, we thought it was more important than ever to give our Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century list, originally published in 2017, yet another rethink. Since the list was originally published, we’ve expanded it to 90 entries, including titles released since then that deserved including and other titles we somehow overlooked the first time.
With everything going the way it is in the world right now, we’re laughing to keep less cheery emotions at bay. At least this bizarre, still-very-much-in-progress century has already produced a slew of spectacular, silly, snarky, and cynical comedies: ready to fire up whenever you need a serotonin burst or distraction thanks to the ever-growing cadre of streaming services.
The pandemic may be in the rearview for the U.S. federal government, but the specter of war, a tortured economy, and human rights issues across the globe have occupied the minds of many instead. So, in desperate need of some humor, we thought it was more important than ever to give our Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century list, originally published in 2017, yet another rethink. Since the list was originally published, we’ve expanded it to 90 entries, including titles released since then that deserved including and other titles we somehow overlooked the first time.
- 3/26/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
In the article series Sound and Vision we take a look at music videos from notable directors. This week we look at Softcore Untd.'s promotional video Softcore, directed by Kristoffer Borgli. Kristoffer Borgli is wary about advertising and self promotion. That is the main recurring theme throughout all his films thus far, including the documentary/fiction hybrid Drib about the marketing for a new energy drink going haywire. The theme follows suit in his cult hit Sick of Myself, which is a dark scathing satire about self promotion in the age of the influencer. That the central premise of his most recent film,Dream Scenario in which the lead character (played by Nicolas Cage) finds himself the center of dreams of other people all over the world,...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 3/25/2024
- Screen Anarchy
IFC’s Late Night With The Devil has scared up the distributor’s largest opening weekend ever with an estimated $2.8+ million on 1.043 screens, coming in at no. 6 at the domestic box office.
Prior to this weekend, Watcher was IFC’s top opening film at $827k, followed by Skinamarink with $819k and Blackberry at $801k. Late Night was IFC’s widest opening since The D Train, the distributor said, noting it was IFC’s highest opening day ($437k) since Skinamakink, and its highest Thursday pre-show ($317k). The film by Australian duo Colin and Cameron Cairnes unfolds almost in real-time on the set of a 1977 late-night talk show broadcast that unexpectedly transforms from amusing to sinister, unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms. Stars David Dastmalchian as talk show host Jack Delroy.
The Image Nation Abu Dhabi and Spooky Pictures pic premiered at SXSW and has since played Fantasia Festival in Montreal,...
Prior to this weekend, Watcher was IFC’s top opening film at $827k, followed by Skinamarink with $819k and Blackberry at $801k. Late Night was IFC’s widest opening since The D Train, the distributor said, noting it was IFC’s highest opening day ($437k) since Skinamakink, and its highest Thursday pre-show ($317k). The film by Australian duo Colin and Cameron Cairnes unfolds almost in real-time on the set of a 1977 late-night talk show broadcast that unexpectedly transforms from amusing to sinister, unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms. Stars David Dastmalchian as talk show host Jack Delroy.
The Image Nation Abu Dhabi and Spooky Pictures pic premiered at SXSW and has since played Fantasia Festival in Montreal,...
- 3/24/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Well, it’s over. Now that the 2024 film awards season is in the rearview mirror, the onslaught of prestige titles hitting digital platforms will come to a temporary halt. Thankfully, this week still brings a pretty decent crop of new releases.
The contender to watch this week: “Drive-Away Dolls“
Ethan Coen‘s second movie without Joel — his first was the documentary “Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind,” which is streaming exclusively on Prime Video — has posted modest box-office returns, but the breezy road comedy seems destined for cult-favorite status. Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan play friends who get caught up in a band of maladroit criminals during a road trip down South. Co-written with Tricia Cooke, who edited “The Big Lebowski” and other Coen-brother movies, “Drive-Away Dolls” also features Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon, and newly minted Oscar nominee Colman Domingo. It’s available to rent or purchase on VOD.
The contender to watch this week: “Drive-Away Dolls“
Ethan Coen‘s second movie without Joel — his first was the documentary “Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind,” which is streaming exclusively on Prime Video — has posted modest box-office returns, but the breezy road comedy seems destined for cult-favorite status. Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan play friends who get caught up in a band of maladroit criminals during a road trip down South. Co-written with Tricia Cooke, who edited “The Big Lebowski” and other Coen-brother movies, “Drive-Away Dolls” also features Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon, and newly minted Oscar nominee Colman Domingo. It’s available to rent or purchase on VOD.
- 3/16/2024
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
The Animal Kingdom (Thomas Cailley)
In The Animal Kingdom, an Un Certain Regard-selected science-fiction romp from France, human-animal mutations are the new norm. Director Thomas Cailley begins things in media res with a familiar disaster-movie scene: François (Romain Duris) and Émile (Paul Kircher)––father and son, respectively––are stuck in traffic, making chit-chat, when something slowly begins capturing the attention of other drivers. An ambulance across the way begins to rumble. Then a man with a large winged arm bursts out, causing some damage before scurrying down a tunnel. Only mildly ruffled, François exchanges a jaded aphorism with another driver over: “Strange times.” – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Dream Scenario (Kristoffer Borgli)
The ever-evolving nature of fame and infamy gets examined in Dream Scenario,...
The Animal Kingdom (Thomas Cailley)
In The Animal Kingdom, an Un Certain Regard-selected science-fiction romp from France, human-animal mutations are the new norm. Director Thomas Cailley begins things in media res with a familiar disaster-movie scene: François (Romain Duris) and Émile (Paul Kircher)––father and son, respectively––are stuck in traffic, making chit-chat, when something slowly begins capturing the attention of other drivers. An ambulance across the way begins to rumble. Then a man with a large winged arm bursts out, causing some damage before scurrying down a tunnel. Only mildly ruffled, François exchanges a jaded aphorism with another driver over: “Strange times.” – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Dream Scenario (Kristoffer Borgli)
The ever-evolving nature of fame and infamy gets examined in Dream Scenario,...
- 3/15/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Rising British actor Callum Turner is set to star alongside Norway’s Kristine Kujath Thorp and Sweden’s Gustav Lindh in Dara Van Dusen’s A Prayer For The Dying.
Anton and New Europe Films sales have co-acquired international rights for the upcoming English-language survival thriller.
Based on a novel by Stewart O’Nan, the film takes place in 1870 in Friendship, Wisconsin, a small town of Scandinavian settlers still suffering the repercussions of the recent Civil War.
When faced with a new and even deadlier threat, one man is forced to make a harrowing choice: save his young family or defend the community that gave him a second chance at life and meaning.
The film will shoot in early summer 2024.
New Europe CEO Jan Naszewski said of the feature: “Rarely can we...
Anton and New Europe Films sales have co-acquired international rights for the upcoming English-language survival thriller.
Based on a novel by Stewart O’Nan, the film takes place in 1870 in Friendship, Wisconsin, a small town of Scandinavian settlers still suffering the repercussions of the recent Civil War.
When faced with a new and even deadlier threat, one man is forced to make a harrowing choice: save his young family or defend the community that gave him a second chance at life and meaning.
The film will shoot in early summer 2024.
New Europe CEO Jan Naszewski said of the feature: “Rarely can we...
- 2/5/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Nicolas Cage is back in the brand new A24 movie Dream Scenario, a genre-blending “nightmare comedy” that made its way home for digital purchase and rental last month.
From director Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself), A24’s Dream Scenario is next headed to Blu-ray on February 27, and we’ve got the special features roundup for you today.
The Blu-ray release will include the following bonus features…
Audio commentary by writer/director Kristoffer Borgli Dream Like Nobody’s Watching featurette 3 deleted scenes Trailers
In Dream Scenario…
“A hapless family man Paul Matthews (Cage) 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.”
Julianne Nicholson, Dylan Baker, Kate Berlant, Michael Cera, Dylan Gelula and Tim Meadows also star in Dream Scenario.
The film is produced by Ari Aster...
From director Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself), A24’s Dream Scenario is next headed to Blu-ray on February 27, and we’ve got the special features roundup for you today.
The Blu-ray release will include the following bonus features…
Audio commentary by writer/director Kristoffer Borgli Dream Like Nobody’s Watching featurette 3 deleted scenes Trailers
In Dream Scenario…
“A hapless family man Paul Matthews (Cage) 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.”
Julianne Nicholson, Dylan Baker, Kate Berlant, Michael Cera, Dylan Gelula and Tim Meadows also star in Dream Scenario.
The film is produced by Ari Aster...
- 1/31/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
One of Scandinavia most interesting new voices, propelled onto the world festival stage with her short film “The Manila Lover,” a Norwegian Amanda best short film and Cannes Critics’ Week nominee, Oslo-based Johanna Pyykkö is competing at the Göteborg Film Festival with her feature debut “My Wonderful Stranger,” which she helmed and co-wrote with Jørgen Færøy Flasnes (“Nudes”).
Shepherding her debut are Dyveke Bjørkly Graver (“Sick of Myself”) and Renée Hansen Mlodyszewski, an associate producer on “The Worst Person in the World,” who produced the pic for Oslo Pictures, in co-production with France’s Bathysphere, MB17 Films, Arte France and Sweden’s Garagefilm. Pyramide International handles sales.
“My Wonderful Stranger” will bow in French cinemas June 5, via Pyramide Distribution. Scandinavian Film Distribution handles Scandinavian rights.
The story turns on the lonely Ebba, 18, who works as a cleaner at Oslo’s harbour. One night, she finds a beautiful man with a...
Shepherding her debut are Dyveke Bjørkly Graver (“Sick of Myself”) and Renée Hansen Mlodyszewski, an associate producer on “The Worst Person in the World,” who produced the pic for Oslo Pictures, in co-production with France’s Bathysphere, MB17 Films, Arte France and Sweden’s Garagefilm. Pyramide International handles sales.
“My Wonderful Stranger” will bow in French cinemas June 5, via Pyramide Distribution. Scandinavian Film Distribution handles Scandinavian rights.
The story turns on the lonely Ebba, 18, who works as a cleaner at Oslo’s harbour. One night, she finds a beautiful man with a...
- 1/30/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself), Dream Scenario stars Lily Bird, Nicolas Cage and Julianne Nicholson, and tells the stoary of a hapless family man (Cage) who 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.
Dream Scenario is out now on digital platforms. You can also check out our written review of the film right here.
Dream Scenario is out now on digital platforms. You can also check out our written review of the film right here.
- 1/11/2024
- by Kevin Haldon
- Nerdly
I found this year’s list to be quite tricky. I’m quite happy with my order from ten through six but the top five have changed a fair amount over the last month or so. Like with any list I guess, it’s just a temperature test of how you’re feeling at that time. I also wrestled with the inclusion of my choice for number ten but sometimes you just have to be honest with yourself and admit when you’ve really enjoyed a movie. On an observational level, there’s slightly less animation on this year’s list than there has been in previous couple of years. The latest Spider-Verse instalment, which I have got in my honourable mentions, could’ve made the cut but it feels like the first part of a wider story. If they stick the landing with Beyond though it’ll likely retroactively...
- 12/27/2023
- by James Maitre
- Directors Notes
Cannes, Venice, Telluride, Sundance premieres each supply two films in top 10 PTA chart for year to date.
Prize-winners and buzzy titles from Cannes, Venice, Telluride and Sundance performed solidly at the arthouse and specialty North American box office in 2023, with particularly strong per theatre averages (PTA).
Data provided by ComScore through December 20 confirm the value of high-profile festival berths as a way of creating audience awareness and engagement.
Cannes selections account for one of the top 10 and one quarter of the top 20 opening weekend PTA scores, led by Wes Anderson’s Competition selection Asteroid City. The ensemble drama opened over...
Prize-winners and buzzy titles from Cannes, Venice, Telluride and Sundance performed solidly at the arthouse and specialty North American box office in 2023, with particularly strong per theatre averages (PTA).
Data provided by ComScore through December 20 confirm the value of high-profile festival berths as a way of creating audience awareness and engagement.
Cannes selections account for one of the top 10 and one quarter of the top 20 opening weekend PTA scores, led by Wes Anderson’s Competition selection Asteroid City. The ensemble drama opened over...
- 12/26/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Cannes, Venice, Telluride, Sundance premieres each supply two films in top 10 PTA chart for year to date.
Prize-winners and buzzy titles from Cannes, Venice and Berlin performed solidly at the arthouse and specialty North American box office in 2023, with particularly strong per theatre averages (PTA).
Data provided by ComScore through December 20 confirm the value of high-profile festival berths as a way of creating audience awareness and engagement.
Cannes selections account for one of the top 10 and one quarter of the top 20 opening weekend PTA scores, led by Wes Anderson’s Competition selection Asteroid City. The ensemble drama opened over the...
Prize-winners and buzzy titles from Cannes, Venice and Berlin performed solidly at the arthouse and specialty North American box office in 2023, with particularly strong per theatre averages (PTA).
Data provided by ComScore through December 20 confirm the value of high-profile festival berths as a way of creating audience awareness and engagement.
Cannes selections account for one of the top 10 and one quarter of the top 20 opening weekend PTA scores, led by Wes Anderson’s Competition selection Asteroid City. The ensemble drama opened over the...
- 12/26/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
A24 gave the surreal comedy Dream Scenario (JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray gave the film a 7/10 review you can read Here) a theatrical release in early November, but if you missed it during its big screen run, we have some good news to share with you today: you can now watch Dream Scenario in the comfort of your own home! The film has received a PVOD release and is available for rent or purchase on Amazon at This Link.
Directed by Kristoffer Borgli from his own screenplay, Dream Scenario was produced by Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau Is Afraid director Ari Aster and stars the legendary Nicolas Cage as Paul Matthews, a hapless family man who 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.
Cage...
Directed by Kristoffer Borgli from his own screenplay, Dream Scenario was produced by Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau Is Afraid director Ari Aster and stars the legendary Nicolas Cage as Paul Matthews, a hapless family man who 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.
Cage...
- 12/22/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Nicolas Cage is back in the brand new A24 movie Dream Scenario, which Meagan Navarro described in her review for Bloody Disgusting as a “nightmare comedy.”
From director Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself), A24’s Dream Scenario released in theaters on November 10, and it’s been surprise-released at home today, December 22!
You can rent the film for $19.99 or digitally purchase it for $24.99.
In Dream Scenario…
“A hapless family man Paul Matthews (Cage) 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.”
Julianne Nicholson, Dylan Baker, Kate Berlant, Michael Cera, Dylan Gelula and Tim Meadows also star in Dream Scenario.
The film is produced by Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen of Square Peg, and Jacob Jaffke, Tyler Campellone and A24.
Meagan writes in her Dream Scenario review out of TIFF,...
From director Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself), A24’s Dream Scenario released in theaters on November 10, and it’s been surprise-released at home today, December 22!
You can rent the film for $19.99 or digitally purchase it for $24.99.
In Dream Scenario…
“A hapless family man Paul Matthews (Cage) 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.”
Julianne Nicholson, Dylan Baker, Kate Berlant, Michael Cera, Dylan Gelula and Tim Meadows also star in Dream Scenario.
The film is produced by Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen of Square Peg, and Jacob Jaffke, Tyler Campellone and A24.
Meagan writes in her Dream Scenario review out of TIFF,...
- 12/22/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Anatomy of a Fall (Justin Triet)
The ensuing days after a romantic breakup, even if it isn’t a cataclysmic one, are an uncanny time. Perhaps once the spell of verbal conflict and sparring’s ceased, suddenly your sole companion for the most intimate thoughts is yourself once again, but it’s an opportune moment for contemplation: how did it really go wrong? Or, can I be honest with myself and acknowledge my own partial responsibility for its demise? For Sandra (Sandra Hüller) and Samuel (Samuel Theis), the key onscreen and offscreen players in Anatomy of a Fall, are enduring this quagmire, although their inevitable breakup was enforced––the latter has just tragically died. – David K. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD...
Anatomy of a Fall (Justin Triet)
The ensuing days after a romantic breakup, even if it isn’t a cataclysmic one, are an uncanny time. Perhaps once the spell of verbal conflict and sparring’s ceased, suddenly your sole companion for the most intimate thoughts is yourself once again, but it’s an opportune moment for contemplation: how did it really go wrong? Or, can I be honest with myself and acknowledge my own partial responsibility for its demise? For Sandra (Sandra Hüller) and Samuel (Samuel Theis), the key onscreen and offscreen players in Anatomy of a Fall, are enduring this quagmire, although their inevitable breakup was enforced––the latter has just tragically died. – David K. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD...
- 12/22/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with Dream Scenario, A24’s surreal dark comedy from Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli that plays off Nicolas Cage’s decades-long permeation of the imagination.
In the buzzy Toronto Film Festival title produced by Square Peg — the banner of Hereditary and Beau Is Afraid helmer Ari Aster — Cage stars as Paul Matthews, an ordinary biology professor whose life takes an unexpected turn when he starts appearing in the dreams of people worldwide. Initially amused by the situation, Paul’s attitude later becomes one of horror and frustration, as peoples’ dreams of him turn into nightmares, and he’s ostracized by the public for actions taken only in their minds.
Dream Scenario marks the English-language debut of the Oslo-born Borgli, who broke out with his Cannes-premiering 2022 dark comedy Sick of Myself. In a September appearance at Deadline’s Toronto Studio,...
In the buzzy Toronto Film Festival title produced by Square Peg — the banner of Hereditary and Beau Is Afraid helmer Ari Aster — Cage stars as Paul Matthews, an ordinary biology professor whose life takes an unexpected turn when he starts appearing in the dreams of people worldwide. Initially amused by the situation, Paul’s attitude later becomes one of horror and frustration, as peoples’ dreams of him turn into nightmares, and he’s ostracized by the public for actions taken only in their minds.
Dream Scenario marks the English-language debut of the Oslo-born Borgli, who broke out with his Cannes-premiering 2022 dark comedy Sick of Myself. In a September appearance at Deadline’s Toronto Studio,...
- 12/20/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
As we wrap up our year-end coverage, IndieWire looks back at the people, projects, and ideas that defined 2023 — and what’s coming next.
If the antihero was the poster child for peak TV, then the downright off-putting and repulsive heroes of the story were ambassadors for film in 2023. Expulsion, waste, and self-destruction — bodily and psychic — were on the minds and in the guts of many of this year’s most divisive and in some cases beloved movies.
We’ve all seen the social media tagline that such and such “changed my DNA.” In a moment in which postures of self-deprecation and flagrant wallowing in our own soupy misery define internet expression, it’s only natural that the movies would respond — and the quote-unquote repulsiveness of such characters is borne out of a desire to transform, and maybe become, in the words of Radiohead, something happier, better.
Two independent films on...
If the antihero was the poster child for peak TV, then the downright off-putting and repulsive heroes of the story were ambassadors for film in 2023. Expulsion, waste, and self-destruction — bodily and psychic — were on the minds and in the guts of many of this year’s most divisive and in some cases beloved movies.
We’ve all seen the social media tagline that such and such “changed my DNA.” In a moment in which postures of self-deprecation and flagrant wallowing in our own soupy misery define internet expression, it’s only natural that the movies would respond — and the quote-unquote repulsiveness of such characters is borne out of a desire to transform, and maybe become, in the words of Radiohead, something happier, better.
Two independent films on...
- 12/20/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
For our most comprehensive year-end feature we’re providing a cumulative look at The Film Stage’s favorite films of 2023. We’ve asked contributors to compile ten-best lists with five honorable mentions––some of those personal selections will be shared in coming weeks––and from tallied votes has this top 50 been assembled.
Without further ado, check out our rundown of 2023 below, our ongoing year-end coverage here (including where to watch many of the below picks, both on streaming and in theaters), and return in the coming weeks as we look towards 2024.
50. Sick of Myself (Kristoffer Borgli)
Kristoffer Borgli’s first Norwegian feature is a work of disgusting, hilarious, horrifying genius. Signe (played brilliantly by Kristine Kujath Thorp) is an early-20s narcissist who, galled by the success of her equally self-centered boyfriend, spirals into full-on Munchausen syndrome. As timely as it is hard to watch, Sick of Myself doesn’t...
Without further ado, check out our rundown of 2023 below, our ongoing year-end coverage here (including where to watch many of the below picks, both on streaming and in theaters), and return in the coming weeks as we look towards 2024.
50. Sick of Myself (Kristoffer Borgli)
Kristoffer Borgli’s first Norwegian feature is a work of disgusting, hilarious, horrifying genius. Signe (played brilliantly by Kristine Kujath Thorp) is an early-20s narcissist who, galled by the success of her equally self-centered boyfriend, spirals into full-on Munchausen syndrome. As timely as it is hard to watch, Sick of Myself doesn’t...
- 12/14/2023
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Nicolas Cage did not know writer-director Kristoffer Borgli from Adam when he opened the first page of Dream Scenario. A Norwegian filmmaker with only one other feature under his belt—2022’s Sick of Myself, which also is in Norwegian—Borgli is an exceedingly new voice in cinema, but one Cage was keyed into recognizing as promising because the screenplay had been sent by Ari Aster. As it turns out, the director behind Hereditary and Midsommar was producing this mysterious new dark comedy called Dream Scenario, and he thought Cage would respond to a story about a mild mannered college professor who one day discovers everyone in the world is dreaming about him.
Cage couldn’t put it down. Despite the project being an intensely surrealist comedy wherein our hero, Paul Matthews, learns his daughters, his students, and even folks on the other side of the Atlantic are dreaming of him—be it as a goof,...
Cage couldn’t put it down. Despite the project being an intensely surrealist comedy wherein our hero, Paul Matthews, learns his daughters, his students, and even folks on the other side of the Atlantic are dreaming of him—be it as a goof,...
- 12/8/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Nicolas Cage wants to do TV. In fact, after another few movies, the Oscar-winning actor said in a recent interview that he only wants to do TV — unless something very special or a revisitation of one of his favorite big-screen roles, like sequels to Face/Off or Ghost Rider, emerges.
Cage said that he does not watch TV much, but his son finally convinced him to catch Breaking Bad last year. He called the series “magnificent,” and said it got him interested in doing quality work episodically.
“I do want to explore other formats,” Cage told Uproxx. “I am very interested in immersion streaming with episodic television. I have seen things that can be done now with characters and the time they’re given to express themselves. I saw Bryan Cranston stare at a suitcase for an hour on one episode of Breaking Bad. We don’t have time to do that in a feature film,...
Cage said that he does not watch TV much, but his son finally convinced him to catch Breaking Bad last year. He called the series “magnificent,” and said it got him interested in doing quality work episodically.
“I do want to explore other formats,” Cage told Uproxx. “I am very interested in immersion streaming with episodic television. I have seen things that can be done now with characters and the time they’re given to express themselves. I saw Bryan Cranston stare at a suitcase for an hour on one episode of Breaking Bad. We don’t have time to do that in a feature film,...
- 12/4/2023
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
(L-r) Nicolas Cage in Dream Scenario. Photo Credit: Jan Thijs. Courtesy of A24
Dream Scenario is more of a nightmare for Nicholas Cage’s character, in this darkest of comedies from Norwegian writer/director Kristoffer Borgli, a social satire commenting on the power and irrational nature of social media. While Cage’s character is not having a good day, actor Nicholas Cage looks like he is having a grand old time, relishing this role as a hapless guy at the center of this outside-the-mainstream dark comedy.
Like his role as a backwoods recluse in Pig, Cage is anything but prettied up for this part, playing an aging, balding professor whose ordinary guy life is upended when random people start seeing him in their dreams.
At first, Cage’s middle-aged academic is sort of flattered by the attention, although he has done nothing to cause his dream appearances. The biology professor...
Dream Scenario is more of a nightmare for Nicholas Cage’s character, in this darkest of comedies from Norwegian writer/director Kristoffer Borgli, a social satire commenting on the power and irrational nature of social media. While Cage’s character is not having a good day, actor Nicholas Cage looks like he is having a grand old time, relishing this role as a hapless guy at the center of this outside-the-mainstream dark comedy.
Like his role as a backwoods recluse in Pig, Cage is anything but prettied up for this part, playing an aging, balding professor whose ordinary guy life is upended when random people start seeing him in their dreams.
At first, Cage’s middle-aged academic is sort of flattered by the attention, although he has done nothing to cause his dream appearances. The biology professor...
- 12/1/2023
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Festival and specialty fare releases crowded the top ten this weekend with Priscilla (A24) and The Holdovers (Focus Features) expanding to hit nos. 4 and 6 respectively. Yash Raj Films’ Bollywood thriller Tiger 3 is at no. 8, and world of mouth continued to buoy Radical (Pantelion/Participant) with Eugenio Derbez, rounding out the list at no. 10.
Meanwhile, Kristoffer Borgli’s dark comedy Dream Scenario had a strong limited opening — the latest in a string of them from A24. Orlando, My Political Biography, an erudite doc from Sideshow/Janus Films based on the Virginia Woolf novel, grossed an estimated $7.5k in one theater (Film Forum) with Friday and Saturday sellouts.
That’s a nice indie weekend. With The Marvels melting down and some wide releases having shifted due to the now-settled SAG-AFTRA strike, there’s been a window for independents on awards season runs.
The numbers: Sofia Coppola’s latest, Priscilla, starring...
Meanwhile, Kristoffer Borgli’s dark comedy Dream Scenario had a strong limited opening — the latest in a string of them from A24. Orlando, My Political Biography, an erudite doc from Sideshow/Janus Films based on the Virginia Woolf novel, grossed an estimated $7.5k in one theater (Film Forum) with Friday and Saturday sellouts.
That’s a nice indie weekend. With The Marvels melting down and some wide releases having shifted due to the now-settled SAG-AFTRA strike, there’s been a window for independents on awards season runs.
The numbers: Sofia Coppola’s latest, Priscilla, starring...
- 11/12/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Dylan Gelula, Dylan Baker | Written and Directed by Kristoffer Borgli
Nicolas Cage delivers one of his best performances in the fantasy black comedy Dream Scenario, from Norwegian writer-director Kristoffer Borgli, which takes savage satirical swipes at viral fame and cancel culture. It also serves as a thematic follow-up to Borgli’s previous film, Sick of Myself, a superb arthouse horror which dealt with extreme narcissism and the pursuit of fame at any cost.
Cage plays boring, middle-aged college professor Paul Matthews, whose efforts in the field of evolutionary biology haven’t led to the sort of recognition he had hoped for, partly due to his own laziness in actually getting around to writing a book. At home, he’s supported by his understanding wife, Janet (Julianne Nicholson), though he’s all but ignored by his two teenage daughters (Lily Bird and...
Nicolas Cage delivers one of his best performances in the fantasy black comedy Dream Scenario, from Norwegian writer-director Kristoffer Borgli, which takes savage satirical swipes at viral fame and cancel culture. It also serves as a thematic follow-up to Borgli’s previous film, Sick of Myself, a superb arthouse horror which dealt with extreme narcissism and the pursuit of fame at any cost.
Cage plays boring, middle-aged college professor Paul Matthews, whose efforts in the field of evolutionary biology haven’t led to the sort of recognition he had hoped for, partly due to his own laziness in actually getting around to writing a book. At home, he’s supported by his understanding wife, Janet (Julianne Nicholson), though he’s all but ignored by his two teenage daughters (Lily Bird and...
- 11/10/2023
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
A man of great skill in his field suddenly begins to lose control of his image as people co-opt his likeness and rip it out of context. The icon begins to outstrip the individual, complicating his ability to gain recognition for the work he wants to be known. That’s the tragedy of Paul Matthews in Dream Scenario, and it resounds all the more because it contains echoes of the journey undergone by the actor who brings him to life: Nicolas Cage.
The phenomenon of Cage as meme is but one of many contemporary cultural forces bottled up by writer-director Kristoffer Borgli in his genre-bending new film. Dream Scenario follows fast on the heels of the Norwegian filmmaker’s international breakout, Sick of Myself, another examination of how online pressures guide real-world behaviors. Borgli has a knack for realizing his observations through extended displays of emotional humiliation and bodily mortification,...
The phenomenon of Cage as meme is but one of many contemporary cultural forces bottled up by writer-director Kristoffer Borgli in his genre-bending new film. Dream Scenario follows fast on the heels of the Norwegian filmmaker’s international breakout, Sick of Myself, another examination of how online pressures guide real-world behaviors. Borgli has a knack for realizing his observations through extended displays of emotional humiliation and bodily mortification,...
- 11/10/2023
- by Marshall Shaffer
- Slant Magazine
A24 continues its stream of special runs opening dark comedy Dream Scenario in limited release on six screens in New York and LA. Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli (Sick Of Myself) and produced by Ari Aster, it stars Nicolas Cage as a hapless family man whose life is turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams.
The film premiered at Toronto Film Festival to stellar reviews (see Deadline’s here). A24 had a SAG-AFTRA waiver and Cage began promoting the film at TIFF. The English-language debut for Norwegian helmer Borgli — whose satire Sick Of Myself premiered at Cannes last year — also features Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Kate Berlant, Nicholas Braun and Noah Centineo.
Opens NY at AMC Lincoln Square, Angelika, Alamo, In LA at The Grove, Century City, Burbank. Q&As with filmmaker Borgli and cast members Berlant (who plays an executive...
The film premiered at Toronto Film Festival to stellar reviews (see Deadline’s here). A24 had a SAG-AFTRA waiver and Cage began promoting the film at TIFF. The English-language debut for Norwegian helmer Borgli — whose satire Sick Of Myself premiered at Cannes last year — also features Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Kate Berlant, Nicholas Braun and Noah Centineo.
Opens NY at AMC Lincoln Square, Angelika, Alamo, In LA at The Grove, Century City, Burbank. Q&As with filmmaker Borgli and cast members Berlant (who plays an executive...
- 11/10/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Palme d’Or winner ‘Anatomy Of A Fall’ opens in 160 cinemas.
Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels heads the new films in UK-Ireland cinemas this weekend, looking to boost the fortunes of the long-running superhero franchise.
The Marvels opens in 665 cinemas through Disney. This is slightly fewer than recent Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) titles Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (708), Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania (680) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (704); the last MCU film to open on fewer screens was Chloe Zhao’s Eternals in 2021 (646).
Running for 15 years and counting, the MCU is still the highest-grossing film franchise both in UK-Ireland and worldwide.
Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels heads the new films in UK-Ireland cinemas this weekend, looking to boost the fortunes of the long-running superhero franchise.
The Marvels opens in 665 cinemas through Disney. This is slightly fewer than recent Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) titles Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (708), Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania (680) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (704); the last MCU film to open on fewer screens was Chloe Zhao’s Eternals in 2021 (646).
Running for 15 years and counting, the MCU is still the highest-grossing film franchise both in UK-Ireland and worldwide.
- 11/10/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
If dreams could predict the future, Nicolas Cage and film team should be toasting awards success with Dream Scenario for its on-point and absurdly funny representation of the subconscious mind, fame and social media and cancel culture.
Like the random firings of neurons that form dream scenarios, this compelling collective tale of utter ‘ordinariness’ escalating into extreme ‘extraordinariness’ follows unremarkable, middle-aged Professor Paul Matthews (Cage) as he navigates appearing in people’s dreams like some divine intervention, from family to total strangers.
The film opens with Matthews raking leaves by a swimming pool, simply observing, as chaos swirls all around him. In reality, the scholar lives a quiet, modest life and is happily married with two daughters. However, the mediocre-achieving biologist has one nagging regret that he missed his chance of academic notoriety with his ‘ant-elligence’, a theory that is then robbed before his very eyes.
Feeling helpless and dejected,...
Like the random firings of neurons that form dream scenarios, this compelling collective tale of utter ‘ordinariness’ escalating into extreme ‘extraordinariness’ follows unremarkable, middle-aged Professor Paul Matthews (Cage) as he navigates appearing in people’s dreams like some divine intervention, from family to total strangers.
The film opens with Matthews raking leaves by a swimming pool, simply observing, as chaos swirls all around him. In reality, the scholar lives a quiet, modest life and is happily married with two daughters. However, the mediocre-achieving biologist has one nagging regret that he missed his chance of academic notoriety with his ‘ant-elligence’, a theory that is then robbed before his very eyes.
Feeling helpless and dejected,...
- 11/10/2023
- by Lisa Giles-Keddie
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
One of the most surprising things I learned about "Dream Scenario" director Kristoffer Borgli is that he's not online. After all, his new film -- a dark, fantastical comedy about an ordinary man (Nicolas Cage) who starts appearing in the dreams of strangers around the world -- is a metaphor for the modern internet experience, specifically when someone gets famous for the right or wrong reasons on social media. Anyone unfortunate enough to still be using Twitter in 2023 knows the patterns "Dream Scenario" is twisting. It's sharp satire, and perhaps the first movie to truly explore the perils of internet fame. Maybe it takes an outsider to see the full picture, and an outsider to realize the dream of social media has truly transformed into a nightmare.
I sat down with Borgli at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, where "Dream Scenario" played as a secret screening. During our conversation, we talked about "The Twilight Zone,...
I sat down with Borgli at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, where "Dream Scenario" played as a secret screening. During our conversation, we talked about "The Twilight Zone,...
- 11/9/2023
- by Jacob Hall
- Slash Film
Clockwise from top left: Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers (courtesy Focus Features), Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer (courtesy Universal Pictures), Colman Domingo in Rustin (courtesy Netflix), Leonardo DiCaprio in Killers Of The Flower Moon (courtesy Apple)Graphic: The A.V. Club
As the weather outside cools down, awards season is heating up,...
As the weather outside cools down, awards season is heating up,...
- 11/6/2023
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
There’s no shortage of new shows and films to watch and enjoy this November, from Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla and a new Meg Ryan-directed romcom, to the long-anticipated A Murder at the End of the World.
This month’s TV slate also sees familiar favorites making their return, including For All Mankind, The Crown (beginning its final season), and even Fargo (whose cast this season includes Juno Temple and Jon Hamm).
Similarly, you could have a pretty good November at the movies simply by catching up with some...
This month’s TV slate also sees familiar favorites making their return, including For All Mankind, The Crown (beginning its final season), and even Fargo (whose cast this season includes Juno Temple and Jon Hamm).
Similarly, you could have a pretty good November at the movies simply by catching up with some...
- 11/1/2023
- by Keith Phipps
- Rollingstone.com
As we enter the final months of the year, we’ll soon be unveiling our favorite cinema in a variety of distinctions and categories, leading up to our best films of the year list. In the meantime, it’s time to play catch up. Along with our updated lists of the best films playing in theaters and weekly streaming picks, we’re taking a look at the offerings of November: historical epics, riveting documentaries, impressive debuts, and the return of one of the most imaginative filmmakers to ever contribute to the craft.
15. Dream Scenario (Kristoffer Borgli; Nov. 10 limited)
In a rare feat, Kristoffer Borgli premiered his second U.S. release of the year after the jet-black Norwegian comedy Sick of Myself. Teaming him with Nicolas Cage, the Ari Aster-produced Dream Scenario premiered at TIFF and I found at least the first half to be quite an entertaining, sharp Kaufman-esque psychological character study.
15. Dream Scenario (Kristoffer Borgli; Nov. 10 limited)
In a rare feat, Kristoffer Borgli premiered his second U.S. release of the year after the jet-black Norwegian comedy Sick of Myself. Teaming him with Nicolas Cage, the Ari Aster-produced Dream Scenario premiered at TIFF and I found at least the first half to be quite an entertaining, sharp Kaufman-esque psychological character study.
- 11/1/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Clockwise from left: The Marvels (Marvel Studios): Trolls: Band Together (Dreamworks); The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes (Lionsgate); Napoleon (Columbia Pictures)Graphic: Libby McGuire
Even though Hollywood strikes—one ongoing, one ended—have created turmoil on movie release calendars, November is still shaping up to be a strong month for films,...
Even though Hollywood strikes—one ongoing, one ended—have created turmoil on movie release calendars, November is still shaping up to be a strong month for films,...
- 10/24/2023
- by Mark Keizer and Cindy White
- avclub.com
Writers’ Development
The U.K.’s National Film and Television School (Nfts) has partnered with “The Crown” producer Left Bank Pictures on the Nfts Diverse Writers Development Program that kicks off in March 2024. It will select six emerging U.K. screenwriters from under-represented backgrounds to contribute their voices to the entertainment landscape and inject fresh perspectives into scripted drama.
The chosen writers will embark on a paid 10-week program, during which four full series ideas will be developed and pitched, with the aim of creating commercially viable television drama concepts. The participants will work through a curriculum designed by the Nfts. The initiative will connect writers with production executives from Left Bank Pictures and potentially other British production companies.
Applications are open now and close Oct. 31.
Promotion
Alexandre Moreau has been promoted to head of sales at Paris-based company Memento International. The executive will oversee Memento International’s slate of films and strategy,...
The U.K.’s National Film and Television School (Nfts) has partnered with “The Crown” producer Left Bank Pictures on the Nfts Diverse Writers Development Program that kicks off in March 2024. It will select six emerging U.K. screenwriters from under-represented backgrounds to contribute their voices to the entertainment landscape and inject fresh perspectives into scripted drama.
The chosen writers will embark on a paid 10-week program, during which four full series ideas will be developed and pitched, with the aim of creating commercially viable television drama concepts. The participants will work through a curriculum designed by the Nfts. The initiative will connect writers with production executives from Left Bank Pictures and potentially other British production companies.
Applications are open now and close Oct. 31.
Promotion
Alexandre Moreau has been promoted to head of sales at Paris-based company Memento International. The executive will oversee Memento International’s slate of films and strategy,...
- 10/2/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Up next from genre mainstay Nicolas Cage is the A24 movie Dream Scenario, which Meagan Navarro described in her review for Bloody Disgusting as a “nightmare comedy.”
From director Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself), A24’s Dream Scenario will release in theaters on November 10, 2023. The movie is officially rated “R” this week for…
“Language, violence and some sexual content.”
In Dream Scenario…
“A hapless family man Paul Matthews (Cage) 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.”
Julianne Nicholson, Dylan Baker, Kate Berlant, Michael Cera, Dylan Gelula and Tim Meadows also star in Dream Scenario.
The film is produced by Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen of Square Peg, and Jacob Jaffke, Tyler Campellone and A24.
Meagan writes in her Dream Scenario review out of TIFF,...
From director Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself), A24’s Dream Scenario will release in theaters on November 10, 2023. The movie is officially rated “R” this week for…
“Language, violence and some sexual content.”
In Dream Scenario…
“A hapless family man Paul Matthews (Cage) 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.”
Julianne Nicholson, Dylan Baker, Kate Berlant, Michael Cera, Dylan Gelula and Tim Meadows also star in Dream Scenario.
The film is produced by Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen of Square Peg, and Jacob Jaffke, Tyler Campellone and A24.
Meagan writes in her Dream Scenario review out of TIFF,...
- 9/27/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
What if Nicolas Cage was Freddy Krueger, minus the fondness for murdering people, the burn-induced scarring, and the razor-bladed glove? Cage's character, the unsuspecting middle-aged professor Paul Matthews, even shares Freddy's predilection for cozy knitted sweaters in "Dream Scenario," the latest eccentric exercise in metamodern storytelling from contemporary indie powerhouse A24.
Much like Paul becomes an overnight celebrity when he inexplicably begins popping up in people's dreams around the world, "Dream Scenario" has suddenly found itself in the spotlight following its positive reception on the film festival circuit. With Cage essentially portraying two characters in the film (the real Paul and the one who keeps intruding into people's nighttime fantasies), his performances in "Dream Scenario" are already being compared to his acclaimed work playing radically different twins in director Spike Jonze and writer Charlie Kaufman's surreal dramedy "Adaptation." In his own review for /Film, Matt Donato declared the...
Much like Paul becomes an overnight celebrity when he inexplicably begins popping up in people's dreams around the world, "Dream Scenario" has suddenly found itself in the spotlight following its positive reception on the film festival circuit. With Cage essentially portraying two characters in the film (the real Paul and the one who keeps intruding into people's nighttime fantasies), his performances in "Dream Scenario" are already being compared to his acclaimed work playing radically different twins in director Spike Jonze and writer Charlie Kaufman's surreal dramedy "Adaptation." In his own review for /Film, Matt Donato declared the...
- 9/27/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Linda Perry, one of the most talented singer-songwriters in popular music, will be the subject of an upcoming documentary from Mercury Studios and Utopia Originals.
Award-winning filmmaker Don Hardy (Citizen Penn) is directing Linda Perry: Let It Die Here, described as “an intimate look at the multi-faceted singer, songwriter and producer.” Perry was the lead singer and principal songwriter for the influential band 4 Non Blondes from 1989-1995, then embarked on a solo career and later founded two record labels. She became a hitmaker for other artists, writing “Beautiful” for Christina Aguilera, “Get the Party Started” for Pink, and co-writing the Gwen Stefani hit “What You Waiting For?” She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015.
Linda Perry performs as part of 4 Non Blondes in 1993.
“Linda Perry is one of the most outspoken and recognizable artists of the past 30 years,” notes a release about the documentary project. “The hat,...
Award-winning filmmaker Don Hardy (Citizen Penn) is directing Linda Perry: Let It Die Here, described as “an intimate look at the multi-faceted singer, songwriter and producer.” Perry was the lead singer and principal songwriter for the influential band 4 Non Blondes from 1989-1995, then embarked on a solo career and later founded two record labels. She became a hitmaker for other artists, writing “Beautiful” for Christina Aguilera, “Get the Party Started” for Pink, and co-writing the Gwen Stefani hit “What You Waiting For?” She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015.
Linda Perry performs as part of 4 Non Blondes in 1993.
“Linda Perry is one of the most outspoken and recognizable artists of the past 30 years,” notes a release about the documentary project. “The hat,...
- 9/21/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Nicolas Cage faces off with admirers and angry mobs in the latest dark comedy from A24, Dream Scenario.
Directed by Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself) and produced by Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau Is Afraid), Cage plays a professor who finds himself in the midst of celebrity after he begins to appear in the dreams of strangers.
The trailer, set to hit Nineties hit single “Dreams” by the Cranberries, sees Cage’s Paul Matthews sifting through hundreds of messages, doing his best Edward Scissorhands impression for media photoshoots, and claiming,...
Directed by Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself) and produced by Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau Is Afraid), Cage plays a professor who finds himself in the midst of celebrity after he begins to appear in the dreams of strangers.
The trailer, set to hit Nineties hit single “Dreams” by the Cranberries, sees Cage’s Paul Matthews sifting through hundreds of messages, doing his best Edward Scissorhands impression for media photoshoots, and claiming,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Charisma Madarang
- Rollingstone.com
Meet Nicolas Cage — the man of your dreams — in the official trailer for “Dream Scenario”.
The actor, 59, stars in the preview for the upcoming razor-sharp comedy, which recently had its world premiere at TIFF.
A never-better Cage stars as a hapless family man named Paul Matthews who “finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams,” as per the official synopsis. “But when his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Paul is forced to navigate his newfound stardom, in this wickedly entertaining comedy from writer-director Kristoffer Borgli (“Sick of Myself”) and producer Ari Aster.”
Read More: TIFF Reveals First-Look At Nicolas Cage In ‘Dream Scenario’, Announces Movie As Platform Programme Opener
The trailer sees Paul react to his strange sudden fame, in which he quickly becomes the talk of the country, transforming from an ordinary college professor who doesn’t like attention...
The actor, 59, stars in the preview for the upcoming razor-sharp comedy, which recently had its world premiere at TIFF.
A never-better Cage stars as a hapless family man named Paul Matthews who “finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams,” as per the official synopsis. “But when his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Paul is forced to navigate his newfound stardom, in this wickedly entertaining comedy from writer-director Kristoffer Borgli (“Sick of Myself”) and producer Ari Aster.”
Read More: TIFF Reveals First-Look At Nicolas Cage In ‘Dream Scenario’, Announces Movie As Platform Programme Opener
The trailer sees Paul react to his strange sudden fame, in which he quickly becomes the talk of the country, transforming from an ordinary college professor who doesn’t like attention...
- 9/19/2023
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
Fresh off the film’s world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, A24 has dropped the first trailer for the Nicolas Cage comedy “Dream Scenario.” From Norwegian writer/director Kristoffer Borgli (“Sick of Myself”), the film stars Cage as a family man whose life is upended when millions of strangers start dreaming about him.
Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Dylan Gelula and Dylan Baker co-star in the film, which was produced by “Midsommar” and “Beau Is Afraid” filmmaker Ari Aster.
TheWrap critic Martin Tsai compared the film favorably to the work of Charlie Kaufman in his review, and acknowledged that although the “internal logic and messaging are at times muddled and not fully formed,” the film is “immensely entertaining.”
The feature offers Cage the chance to wear a number of different hats, as his character takes on various forms in the dreams of others, growing increasingly violent as the film wears on.
Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Dylan Gelula and Dylan Baker co-star in the film, which was produced by “Midsommar” and “Beau Is Afraid” filmmaker Ari Aster.
TheWrap critic Martin Tsai compared the film favorably to the work of Charlie Kaufman in his review, and acknowledged that although the “internal logic and messaging are at times muddled and not fully formed,” the film is “immensely entertaining.”
The feature offers Cage the chance to wear a number of different hats, as his character takes on various forms in the dreams of others, growing increasingly violent as the film wears on.
- 9/19/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Nicolas Cage, balding and wearing wool sweaters, is a meek husband, father and academic who suddenly becomes a viral sensation when he seeps into the dreams of random strangers in the new trailer for Kristoffer Borgli’s A24 satirical comedy Dream Scenario.
The pic, which bowed at the Toronto Film Festival ahead of a Thanksgiving release, sees Cage play Paul Matthews, whose newfound stardom becomes a nightmare when his nighttime appearances complicate the lives of those around him.
“I’m not actually doing anything to them,” Matthews pleads at one point in the trailer as the comedy takes a dark turn when the role he plays in people’s dreams undermines his celebrity status. Dream Scenario also stars Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Dylan Gelula and Dylan Baker.
Norwegian filmmaker Borgli wrote and directed his English-language film debut after the breakout success of the black comedy Sick of Myself,...
The pic, which bowed at the Toronto Film Festival ahead of a Thanksgiving release, sees Cage play Paul Matthews, whose newfound stardom becomes a nightmare when his nighttime appearances complicate the lives of those around him.
“I’m not actually doing anything to them,” Matthews pleads at one point in the trailer as the comedy takes a dark turn when the role he plays in people’s dreams undermines his celebrity status. Dream Scenario also stars Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Dylan Gelula and Dylan Baker.
Norwegian filmmaker Borgli wrote and directed his English-language film debut after the breakout success of the black comedy Sick of Myself,...
- 9/19/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It feels like Nicolas Cage is kind of everywhere these days. We’ve had the meta-Cage of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and the vampiric Cage of Renfield, not to mention the unexpected CGI Super-Cage of The Flash. And now, we’re about to see Cage in his more dialled-back, intimate indie-drama form, as the first trailer has just dropped for A24’s new comedy-drama Dream Scenario, in which the Cage-naissance spreads into the world’s subconscious. Watch it below:
Cage plays the mild-mannered and really quite dorky college professor Paul Matthews, the kind of guy who never makes much of a splash, no matter where he goes. Until, out of nowhere, he starts appearing in people’s dreams. First it’s just a few, then it’s more and more, and he’s up to all sorts: sometimes he’s just in the background, other times he’s creeping people out,...
Cage plays the mild-mannered and really quite dorky college professor Paul Matthews, the kind of guy who never makes much of a splash, no matter where he goes. Until, out of nowhere, he starts appearing in people’s dreams. First it’s just a few, then it’s more and more, and he’s up to all sorts: sometimes he’s just in the background, other times he’s creeping people out,...
- 9/19/2023
- by Tom Nicholson
- Empire - Movies
Just last week, JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray had the chance to watch the surreal comedy Dream Scenario at the Toronto International Film Festival, giving the film a 7/10 review you can read at This Link. Now A24, which will be giving Dream Scenario a theatrical release on November 10th, has unveiled a trailer for the film – and you can check it out in the embed above!
Directed by Kristoffer Borgli from his own screenplay, Dream Scenario was produced by Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau Is Afraid director Ari Aster and stars the legendary Nicolas Cage as Paul Matthews, a hapless family man who 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.
Cage is joined in the cast by Julianne Nicholson, who recently won an Emmy...
Directed by Kristoffer Borgli from his own screenplay, Dream Scenario was produced by Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau Is Afraid director Ari Aster and stars the legendary Nicolas Cage as Paul Matthews, a hapless family man who 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.
Cage is joined in the cast by Julianne Nicholson, who recently won an Emmy...
- 9/19/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
One of the buzziest titles to debut at the Toronto International Film Festival has a new trailer.
On Tuesday, A24 debuted the first teaser for “Dream Scenario,” a new comedy starring Nicolas Cage that earned the former Best Actor winner some of his best reviews in recent memory.
Cage stars as a man named Paul Matthews in the new film, an average guy who gains global attention after he mysteriously starts appearing in people’s dreams. Here’s the official plot summary from A24:
Hapless family man Paul Matthews (Nicolas Cage) 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, in this wickedly entertaining comedy from writer-director Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself) and producer Ari Aster.
In addition to Cage, the film stars Julianne Nicholson,...
On Tuesday, A24 debuted the first teaser for “Dream Scenario,” a new comedy starring Nicolas Cage that earned the former Best Actor winner some of his best reviews in recent memory.
Cage stars as a man named Paul Matthews in the new film, an average guy who gains global attention after he mysteriously starts appearing in people’s dreams. Here’s the official plot summary from A24:
Hapless family man Paul Matthews (Nicolas Cage) 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, in this wickedly entertaining comedy from writer-director Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself) and producer Ari Aster.
In addition to Cage, the film stars Julianne Nicholson,...
- 9/19/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
"I wish I was the one people were dreaming about!" "Me too!" A24 has unveiled the first official trailer for Dream Scenario, the next acclaimed film from Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli (he also directed this year's release Sick of Myself). Surprise, surprise - everyone's favorite film from TIFF is being released right away starting in November this fall. This quite recently premiered at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival and got rave reviews from almost everyone, regarded as one of the best films of the festival. Described as a "satirical swipe at celebrity and groupthink" & "razor-sharp comedy starring a never-better Nicolas Cage", it's about what happens to one man when he suddenly starts appearing in everyone's dreams. Also starring Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Dylan Gelula, and Dylan Baker. This looks as good as everyone at TIFF has been saying, cannot wait to catch up with it. Hope everyone else watches,...
- 9/19/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Up next from Nicolas Cage is the A24 dark comedy Dream Scenario, which has released its official trailer this morning. From director Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself), A24’s Dream Scenario will release in theaters on November 10, 2023. Watch the trailer below.
Of particular note, the film was produced by Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar).
In Dream Scenario…
“A hapless family man Paul Matthews (Cage) 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.”
The promise of a “nightmarish turn” in this one suggests it’ll be one that horror fans will want to check out. Kristoffer Borgli proved with previous movie Sick of Myself that he’s more than comfortable blending genres into uniquely singular cocktails, as the 2022 film was something of a drama-comedy-body horror hybrid.
Of particular note, the film was produced by Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar).
In Dream Scenario…
“A hapless family man Paul Matthews (Cage) 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.”
The promise of a “nightmarish turn” in this one suggests it’ll be one that horror fans will want to check out. Kristoffer Borgli proved with previous movie Sick of Myself that he’s more than comfortable blending genres into uniquely singular cocktails, as the 2022 film was something of a drama-comedy-body horror hybrid.
- 9/19/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Nicolas Cage can be a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare. A24 has released the first trailer for its new dark comedy “Dream Scenario,” from “Sick of Myself” writer-director Kristoffer Borgli. The film stars Cage as a college professor who becomes famous after he inexplicably begins to appear in the dreams of strangers, though his celebrity status faces complications once the world’s visions of him become terrifying.
“Why me? Uh, I don’t know! I’m special, I guess,” Cage’s Paul Matthews tells the world in an interview on television. Through the trailer, set to The Cranberries’ perennial ’90s anthem “Dreams,” the family man is met with applause, admiration, impersonators and angry mobs.
In addition to Cage, the R-rated comedy’s ensemble features Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Dylan Gelula, Dylan Baker and Kate Berlant. “Beau Is Afraid” director and A24 mainstay Ari Aster serves as a producer,...
“Why me? Uh, I don’t know! I’m special, I guess,” Cage’s Paul Matthews tells the world in an interview on television. Through the trailer, set to The Cranberries’ perennial ’90s anthem “Dreams,” the family man is met with applause, admiration, impersonators and angry mobs.
In addition to Cage, the R-rated comedy’s ensemble features Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Dylan Gelula, Dylan Baker and Kate Berlant. “Beau Is Afraid” director and A24 mainstay Ari Aster serves as a producer,...
- 9/19/2023
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
In a rare feat, Kristoffer Borgli premiered his second U.S. release of the year after the jet-black Norwegian comedy Sick of Myself. Teaming him with Nicolas Cage, the Ari Aster-produced Dream Scenario has quite the intriguing premise: a professor stuck in a rut becomes an overnight celebrity after appearing in everyone’s dream.” What begins in a Charlie Kaufman-esque arena turns far darker, as anyone who has seen Borgli’s breakout could expect. Now, following a TIFF premiere and ahead of a November 10 release from A24, the first trailer has arrived.
C.J. Prince said in his review, “The ever-evolving nature of fame and infamy gets examined in Dream Scenario, Kristoffer Borgli’s follow-up to his dark comedy Sick of Myself. It’s the Norwegian director’s first feature in America, and with it comes the confident backing of A24, producer Ari Aster, and a starry cast led by Nicolas Cage.
C.J. Prince said in his review, “The ever-evolving nature of fame and infamy gets examined in Dream Scenario, Kristoffer Borgli’s follow-up to his dark comedy Sick of Myself. It’s the Norwegian director’s first feature in America, and with it comes the confident backing of A24, producer Ari Aster, and a starry cast led by Nicolas Cage.
- 9/19/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Have you been dreaming of Nicolas Cage? That's the question that Kristoffer Borgli's R-rated dark comedy "Dream Scenario" is asking. Cage plays a hapless, unassuming educator named Paul Matthews who might as well be the image next to the dictionary definition of "average, middle-aged white man." He wears sensible sweaters over collared shirts, there's a bit more salt than pepper in his beard, and his hairline hasn't been visible from the front for many, many years.
And yet, millions of strangers from all across the globe are starting to see him in their dreams. Sometimes he's a hero. Sometimes he's a bystander in the crowd. Paul's newfound stardom was exciting at first, but now he has to reckon with the reality that his presence is unwelcome and deeply traumatizing for countless people. Because sometimes, Paul is an absolute nightmare, invading people's dreams as if Freddy Krueger were a suburban dad.
And yet, millions of strangers from all across the globe are starting to see him in their dreams. Sometimes he's a hero. Sometimes he's a bystander in the crowd. Paul's newfound stardom was exciting at first, but now he has to reckon with the reality that his presence is unwelcome and deeply traumatizing for countless people. Because sometimes, Paul is an absolute nightmare, invading people's dreams as if Freddy Krueger were a suburban dad.
- 9/19/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.