Dream Scenario
An ordinary family man finds his life turned upside down when strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams.
Working with a limited budget of $10.0M, the film achieved a respectable showing with $14.1M in global revenue (+41% profit margin).
3 wins & 18 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Dream Scenario (2023) exhibits precise story structure, characteristic of Kristoffer Borgli's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 42 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Paul Matthews
Janet Matthews
Trent
Hannah
Brett
Dean
Main Cast & Characters
Paul Matthews
Played by Nicolas Cage
A mild-mannered biology professor who spontaneously appears in strangers' dreams, transforming from anonymous to viral celebrity to social pariah.
Janet Matthews
Played by Julianne Nicholson
Paul's wife and teacher who struggles to support her husband while protecting her family as his bizarre fame spirals out of control.
Trent
Played by Michael Cera
A slick marketing executive from Thoughts?™ who attempts to monetize Paul's dream phenomenon for profit.
Hannah
Played by Dylan Gelula
Paul's college-age daughter navigating her own identity while embarrassed by her father's sudden and disturbing celebrity status.
Brett
Played by Tim Meadows
Paul's colleague and fellow professor who becomes increasingly concerned about the department's reputation.
Dean
Played by Dylan Baker
The university dean who must make institutional decisions about Paul's employment as the crisis escalates.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Paul Matthews, an unremarkable biology professor, lives an invisible, mundane life teaching evolution and struggling to get his academic book published. He is nobody special, overlooked by students and colleagues alike.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Paul learns that people around the world are dreaming about him—strangers reporting dreams where he appears passively, doing nothing, just present. The phenomenon begins spreading virally.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 25 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Paul actively chooses to embrace his dream celebrity status, agreeing to brand partnerships and media appearances. He commits to leveraging this strange phenomenon for the recognition he's always craved., moving from reaction to action.
At 51 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat The dreams shift dramatically. People begin having nightmares where Paul appears threatening or violent. His passive presence transforms into something sinister. Public perception inverts from curious fascination to fear and hostility., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 77 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Paul loses his job, his family relationships fracture beyond repair, and he becomes a pariah. The death of his former self—the dream of recognition, academic success, and normalcy—is complete. He is utterly alone and vilified., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 82 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Paul accepts that he has no control over how others perceive him—in dreams or reality. He realizes the absurdity of seeking identity through others' projections. He must find a way forward without validation., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Dream Scenario's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping Dream Scenario against these established plot points, we can identify how Kristoffer Borgli utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Dream Scenario within the comedy genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Paul Matthews, an unremarkable biology professor, lives an invisible, mundane life teaching evolution and struggling to get his academic book published. He is nobody special, overlooked by students and colleagues alike.
Theme
A student or colleague remarks on the nature of attention and recognition, suggesting that being seen doesn't necessarily mean being understood or valued—foreshadowing Paul's journey with viral fame.
Worldbuilding
Paul's unremarkable existence is established: his strained family dynamics, his academic frustrations, his invisibility in social settings. We see his desperation for recognition through his unpublished book on evolutionary biology.
Disruption
Paul learns that people around the world are dreaming about him—strangers reporting dreams where he appears passively, doing nothing, just present. The phenomenon begins spreading virally.
Resistance
Paul grapples with his sudden, bizarre fame. He debates whether to embrace it or ignore it. His family reacts with confusion and concern. A marketing executive reaches out, seeing commercial potential in his dream fame.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Paul actively chooses to embrace his dream celebrity status, agreeing to brand partnerships and media appearances. He commits to leveraging this strange phenomenon for the recognition he's always craved.
Mirror World
Paul reconnects with Claire, a former student who appears in her dreams, leading to a charged relationship that reflects Paul's deeper need for genuine connection versus superficial recognition.
Premise
The "fun and games" of dream celebrity: Paul enjoys media attention, commercial opportunities, academic recognition, and social validation. He experiences the surreal absurdity of being famous for doing nothing.
Midpoint
The dreams shift dramatically. People begin having nightmares where Paul appears threatening or violent. His passive presence transforms into something sinister. Public perception inverts from curious fascination to fear and hostility.
Opposition
Paul faces escalating consequences: brand deals cancelled, social ostracization, campus protests demanding his removal, family estrangement. His attempts to explain or control the narrative fail. The world turns against him for something he cannot control.
Collapse
Paul loses his job, his family relationships fracture beyond repair, and he becomes a pariah. The death of his former self—the dream of recognition, academic success, and normalcy—is complete. He is utterly alone and vilified.
Crisis
Paul sits in the darkness of his failure, processing the cruel irony: he finally got the attention he wanted, but it destroyed him. He confronts the emptiness of external validation and the randomness of public perception.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Paul accepts that he has no control over how others perceive him—in dreams or reality. He realizes the absurdity of seeking identity through others' projections. He must find a way forward without validation.
Synthesis
Paul attempts to rebuild a life in obscurity, navigating a world where his face still triggers collective trauma. He explores desperate solutions, including experimental dream therapy technology, before ultimately accepting his strange fate.
Transformation
Final image mirrors the opening: Paul remains fundamentally invisible and unremarkable, but now carries the burden of unwanted notoriety. He is trapped in a new kind of isolation—famous yet more alone than ever, a cautionary tale about fame's emptiness.