Welcome to the psychological and SomethingElseOddity here starring Nic Fkn Cage. Older. Balding. Professor. Family man. And a bit of a, well, a cuck. Not sure really how else to explain his character beyond that. Just a rather bland, indecisive kinda neurotic cuck. But something odd happens. He starts showing up in people’s dreams. Just, like, passively, from what he can tell, when talking with his students after the curiosity is exposed. But, like, a LOT of people’s dreams.
Paul isn’t even an average guy. So when a spotlight shines on him from this random ongoing event, he latches on to it for the hopes of finally getting some recognition. Unfortunately, he’s not really sure what he’s latching onto or capable of navigating this change. Like a moth to flame, and whatever he does, it doesn’t really seem to help the situation. In fact, it gets worse. In strange, odd ways, whatever is going on, it just gets...darker.
This is kinda like an odd amalgamation of Being John Malkovich and Stranger Than Fiction, but even less deep. And maybe a touch of A Nightmare on Elm Street. A cool concept here, plays out mostly well if a little frustrating in the first two acts. Third act? Kinda shits the bed, plus adds some weird politics crap that is a bit laughable. Interesting take on the phenomena, but then how it’s treated. Cage is good as the cuck, his family is good as the family, the Agency he gets involved in is good as an Agency (commercial, not governmental), because, I mean, why not monetize it, right? And holy shit how it’s monetized..sheeeeit. I dunno. The concepts explored, especially later in the film, are kinda weak and undeveloped. But ultimately it’s a character study about Paul with a few extra steps, and the cuckiness that is his life.
