WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
What is it to dream? Is it the notion of future desires to be strived for and attained in order that life might be made into the image which is most fulfilling? Or is it more the literal state we often achieve while in deep sleep, transporting us to fantastical places, experiencing ideal situations, or simply providing us a peaceful night’s rest with just enough recollection of what we imagined to keep us satisfied. However, what if this latter experience could be controlled and molded into whatever we wished? What wrong could possibly occur? For one couple, John (Marcus Coloma) and Mallory (Stephanie Scholz), it is this realm of experimentation they’ve adopted.
Based upon a prescription drug that allows the user to precisely manipulate what they dream of, John and Mallory have chosen to take various types of it that give them everything from adventure, to success, to romance and sexuality. Yet, each morning, as they share of their experiences, it soon becomes apparent the “tests” they’re running are starting to cause a growing rift in their marriage, even as John’s dreams seem innocent and relatively harmless while Mallory’s romantic leanings seem not to focus on him. When John suggests an alternative action for Mallory to take on that would help “re-set” her dreams, she resists wholeheartedly, much to John’s consternation. But, when Mallory goes to sleep that next night, her dreams turn to total nightmares of which there may not be any escape.
Next, my Mind:
There are many facets of reality vs. fantasy, happiness vs. dissatisfaction, and acceptance vs. escapism when dealing with life and relationship issues that are explored with a deft cleverness in this 11-minute indie short film effort from co-director/editor K. Spencer Jones and co-director/writer Jake Wilkens. We all know that, most of the time, dreams tend to be so overtly random that there isn’t always any explanation or direct catalyst to pinpoint their origin. Here, however, introducing the concept of an actual prescribed medication that allows users to have absolute control over what they dream about carries with it both intriguing yet equally frightening qualities and ramifications, all of which come out for the viewer with quite a potent punch that makes us think twice about just how “great” this power would be. The narrative hurtles us forward with intentionality as it portrays what might seem like an almost innocent bit of fun turning into an actual point of contention between a couple’s personal and dual gratification both when asleep and while awake, all of which threatens to end up tearing apart the very foundations of what, we assume, was a very mutually loving connection with each other. As this escalates and potentially dangerous courses of action are brought into the picture, the consequences of them both attempting to compensate for the hurts they have come forth, leading to a viscerally shocking finale that definitively proves it might just be healthier to talk things out in reality and not rely on the dreamscape to dictate solutions. We want to believe “the grass is always greener”, but when stubborn humanness and the unwillingness to address reality and overcome what vexations we have try to rule our choices, this story becomes an even more cautionary tale. Solid cinematography creates the eerie atmosphere required here for impact on us as the viewer, and likewise the music score also brings about the creepy ambiance desired for this style of horror/drama.
Coloma’s John is a man battling certain measures of inadequacy based on his preferred dream where success is made him an idolized star, even if in a somewhat vague and ambiguous way. Still, he wakes with perhaps a better sense of self importance each morning, which may or may not be rubbing Mallory the wrong way the more he shares about it. Still, his building insecurities are not necessarily alleviated when prying for details about his wife’s preferred imaginary romantic liaisons, getting more and more aggravated by the fact they don’t seem to include him in them. Not being able to accept that “it’s only a dream” as an explanation anymore, his decisions about what she could do about it become more erratic and desperate, pushing him to latent extremes he could go to if she isn’t willing when it comes to the medications in question. It’s the actions of a loving yet unhinged mind, and Coloma paints us a perfect picture of this in his performance.
Scholz’s Mallory is a woman dealing with her own demons, primarily in the form of a slowly deteriorating marriage, thanks to her own experiences she shares about the dreams she’s chosen to return to more often than John would prefer. For her, it all truly does seem like an escape from the verbal abuse and ranting we see hinted at in her waking hours, a means by which to place herself away from strife and to a more loving state of being where troubles are few and far between. As John continues to get more and more upset at her, Mallory’s anger only gets fueled more, and retreating to a night’s sleep with an ideal dream is a fitting sanctuary. At least until things go horribly awry and the lines between reality and reverie get wholly blurred, throwing her into a confused, frightened, and highly unstable actuality whose outcome is eerily uncertain. It’s really Mallory’s part in all of this that’s the most volatile and ultimately unsettling, with Scholz embodying the nuances of it with excellent poise and acute, emotive, realistic delivery.
Overall, as a primary cast of just two, Coloma and Scholz work effectively together to make manifest their character’s individual and mutual tales with an equal level of well-grounded believability with enough intensity and focused vigor that fits the narrative without going into the realms of overacting to elicit the intended responses from the audience. One additional supporting appearance is made by Anton David Jeftha as well. In total, “A Thing of Dreams” is a smartly crafted, creatively thought out dramatic horror/thriller that presents its themes via its engagingly creepy premise and well-played characters, while allowing it to sink into our minds that there truly can be danger in allowing anything within us that’s unresolved to remain so for too long. On that note—good night—and sweet, sweet dreams.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
