I like weird films. I like a lot of cult films. Bruce McDonald's "Dreamland" spends all of its energy trying to be weird and cultish. When a film ends up as a cult classic it is almost always unintended. It's almost impossible to predict which ones will become midnight fare at your local theater; it's a word-of-mouth thing. This one could certainly obtain that, but I won't be in the midnight lines if it does happen.
"Dreamland" is a dystopian escapade with oversaturated colors in mostly poorly lit scenes. Early on, it reminded me of the exaggerated colors of the CSI series of shows on television, except that in this film, everything is grainy like it was shot in the 1970's and had endured a bad transfer to tape.
The story features Stephen McHattie in two of the lead roles. He's Johnny Deadeyes, an older and thinner hitman and a heroin-addicted jazz trumpeter. It's unclear why he has two roles other than possibly to save a salary for another actor. He's serviceable in both roles.
Johnny works for Hercules (Henry Rollins), a super-intense and violent gangster who is involved in kidnapping and pimping out very young girls to rich men. The girls are locked in a basement, all of them dressed in very thin, white nightdresses.
The one in charge is the Countess (Juliette Lewis). She is a total nut-job diplomat's wife who throws over-the-top parties where politicians and gangsters snort cocaine and act like idiots. Lewis overacts up a storm, making her character comical, yet somehow still not funny. Rollins is only a rung or two better.
Johnny rescues one of the young basement girls who we learn has been sold to the Countess for her brother (Tómas Lemarquis), who's a vampire. I think he's supposed to be scary, but I can't swear to that.
Telling you any more details wouldn't ruin it for you because this movie comes self-ruined. "Dreamland" could become a cult film, but I'm not betting that way. If it does, you will be able to see it as often as you like. For now, take my word that this one is truly a bad dream.
| Movie title | Dreamland |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2019 |
| MPAA Rating | NR |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | This dystopian crime non-thriller is weird for weird's sake, and that's not good enough. |
