The ’80s produced a slew of underappreciated sci-fi movies that deserve more fans, but not everything can be as big as “Ghostbusters” and “Back to the Future.” Fortunately, the age of streaming allows everyone to rediscover many blasts from the past, allowing them to live again. For example, sci-fi fans can currently watch the Dennis Quaid-starring “Dreamscape” on several platforms, and the best part? It’s free.
“Dreamscape” is available on Free Movies Plus, The Roku Channel, The CW, Kanopy, Hoopla, Fandango, YouTube, Plex, Fawsome, and Tubi. The film tells the story of Alex (Quaid), a psychic who joins a government project to enter people’s dreams. However, things soon take a turn for the dramatic when he uncovers an assassination plot against the president of the United States — and the killer plans on carrying out the hit via the subconscious realm.
“Dreamscape” predates Christopher Nolan’s “James Bond”-inspired “Inception,” which chronicles people entering other folks’ dreams to steal information. “Inception” is an espionage heist movie, though, while “Dreamscape” is a horror-tinged political conspiracy thriller. Still, fans of Nolan’s blockbuster will probably enjoy Joseph Ruben’s ’80s cult classic — and plenty of critics recommend it.
What critics said about Dreamscape
“Dreamscape” wasn’t a massive box office success, as the film only earned $12 million during its theatrical run before finding its way into cult circles. However, it received plaudits from critics, with reviewers praising the film for its ambitious genre-blending elements. Roger Ebert noted that “Dreamscape” tries to be several different types of movies at the same time, but that isn’t a bad thing. “Most movies that try to crowd so much into an hour and a half end up looking like a shopping list, but ‘Dreamscape’ works, maybe because it has a sense of humor.”
Mark Dinning of Empire Magazine echoed Ebert’s view about the film’s fun qualities, adding that “Dreamscape” is an entertaining product of its era. “The sometimes dark sci-fi thriller tone is punctured nicely by Quaid’s one-liners, and [Kate] Capshaw is on good form. Very, very ’80s, but lots of fun too.” If you’re looking for a great ’80s sci-fi horror movie with action and thrills, “Dreamscape” delivers the goods. It’s perfect viewing for B-movie aficionados, but the assassination plot gives the story enough drama and stakes to elevate it beyond mere schlock-y fun. Now that the film is streaming for free, what do you have to lose?
