Hapless family man Paul Matthews 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, Pail is forced to navigate his newfound stardom, in this wickedly entertaining comedy from writer-director Kristoffer Borgli and producer Ari Aster.

For in-depth thoughts on Dream Scenario, please see my colleague Kelly Kantrowitz’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Lionsgate Home Entertainment brings Dream Scenario to Blu-Ray with a very strong 1080p video presentation in its original 1.85:1 that deftly captures the stylistically specific aesthetic. The image is derived from a 16mm film source absent of any flaws with the look of the film traversing the color palette as the strange journey unfolds. The film implements unique touches of bold colors within the production design and clothing for a more exciting image. The highlights show no signs of blooming, and the black levels are perfectly deep with little in the way of digital noise or banding.

With this effort being shot on film rather than strictly digital, the transfer is given more texture than your average modern release. The flesh tones are natural with a grand amount of detail present in close-ups, especially when it comes to facial hair. The presentation provides a substantial amount of depth on display in all environments. The production design, along with the fabrics of the clothing, provide clear textural details that thrive on the format. While we would have loved a 4K UHD Blu-Ray, this is an ideal presentation for the feature.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a favorable DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that accomplishes everything that is asked of it with ease. Dialogue always emanates clearly without being overshadowed by any competing sounds, even when characters are being verbally dominated by others. The environmental sounds of the world consistently keep the track lively in the surround speakers in a pleasing manner. Ambient noises are thoughtfully placed in the rear channels. The score of this film flows through the speakers in a stirring manner. There are a few heightened moments in the film that engage the low end to add some texture to the thrills. The audio track is a top-tier representation of the film. There are optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Kristoffer Borgli provides an informative commentary track in which he discusses the production of the film, the larger ideas behind certain choices, shooting in the same locations as Priscilla, meeting the audience halfway with this latest feature, working with Nicolas Cage, and more.

Dream Like Nobody’s Watching: A nearly ten-minute behind-the-scenes piece in which the cast and creative team discuss the origins of the project, why it appealed so deeply to Cage, the deeper themes being explored, the visual aesthetic, the work of the ensemble, and much more that offer a good, brief overview of the film.

Deleted Scenes: A minute-and-a-half-long selection of unused scenes is provided featuring small moments of Paul at the grocery store, with his family, with some protestors, and more.

Final Thoughts

Dream Scenario is a deeply entertaining and fascinating film that takes one of our most promising rising filmmakers and pairs him with an icon who thrives with the right material. The story is right in the sweet spot for what we want from Nicolas Cage, and it happens to be one of his most consistently great features in a while. There is a unique creative vision on display that merges style and thematic substance with a confident hand. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a fantastic A/V presentation and a few cool special features. If you love a bold creative swing, this is the movie for you. Recommended

Dream Scenario will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital on February 27, 2024.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.