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Dream Scenario<\/em> slowly blurs real and fake. Just like the characters around Paul, we lose sight of the actual man versus the imagined man. This is a problem for Paul, since the world\u2019s dreams of him eventually morph into nightmares. Suddenly, he\u2019s not watching the killer; he is<\/em> the killer, and he\u2019s a terrifying presence to all haunted by this at night. Again, Paul seems bewildered. In one moment, he\u2019s about to sign a deal with a hip firm headed up by a savvy brand manager (Michael Cera<\/strong>) while flirting with a genuinely interested young assistant (Dylan Gelula<\/strong>); in another, he\u2019s on the verge of cultural cancellation, pushed to pivot his image toward a kind of alt-right provocateur, while his wife is considering separation.<\/p>\n Crucially, though, the panic of those around Paul is not mocked. Borgli resists depicting a bunch of Gen Z clich\u00e9s ruining a man\u2019s life for no reason. We see<\/em> these students\u2019 terrifying visions play out, and thus intimately understand their fears. \u201cI wanted them to feel actually traumatic and horrific,\u201d Borgli says. \u201cBoth in the lived life and in the dream life, it was always about taking things seriously.\u201d By avoiding any real, contentious issues\u2014the stuff that tends to inflame the cancel-culture debate in academic settings, like language and censorship\u2014Dream Scenario<\/em> turns almost anthropological, a lab experiment of shifting attitudinal tides. This is the way Borgli works cinematically. This being his first English-language film marks a real accomplishment, given his intricate if brash handling of specifically American discourse. But go back to his Oslo-set breakout, Sick of Myself,<\/em> and you\u2019ll see a familiar, deadpan skewering of contemporary fame and its mechanisms.<\/p>\n On Dream Scenario<\/em>\u2019s roller coaster of virality and ostracization, Paul\u2019s simple goal is for his extremely niche academic work to be taken seriously\u2014to find an audience. He never gets close. This doomed endeavor signals another personal element for Borgli. His father was a professor who felt similarly underappreciated for his work; the idea of him in Paul\u2019s predicament made the director laugh, which in turn inspired the character. \u201cHe would\u2019ve struggled to navigate a sudden viral fame, a modern way of fame\u2014I don\u2019t think he would understand the dynamics, and I think he would fumble it, similar to Paul,\u201d Borgli says. \u201cAnd this is from Norway\u2014it wasn\u2019t a very America-specific idea. But of course, the level to which you can both get the attention and the pile-on\u2014that feels very American.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul, meanwhile, is hardly so hemmed in by his nation\u2019s customs. He crosses borders like a schlubby cultural myth; he\u2019s known anywhere and everywhere, just like his portrayer. In Dream Scenario,<\/em> we watch Cage haunt a 20-something\u2019s nightmare like a killer on the loose, then we watch him pouting back in the real world, after the same 20-something chooses to abandon his class out of fear. Cage goes from a Freddy Krueger\u2013toned cutout, imposing and larger than life and deadly silent, to a middle-aged sad sack, subdued and neurotic and unable to speak his mind. \u201cNo one could have done that better,\u201d Borgli says. The performance in Dream Scenario<\/em> is constantly shape-shifting, fearlessly funny and technically impressive\u2014the thrilling arc of a star who\u2019s lived in our heads, through many different personas, for a very long time.<\/p>\n Dream Scenario premieres Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival, before hitting theaters on November 10 via A24. This feature is part of<\/em> Awards Insider\u2019s exclusive fall-festival coverage<\/em><\/a>, featuring first looks and in-depth interviews with some of this coming season\u2019s biggest contenders.<\/em><\/p>\n
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