Dreams (2026)
Few filmmakers have burst onto the scene over recent years as daring and bold as Michel Franco. Crafting his films as director, writer, producer, and editor, Franco has proven his voice as a political filmmaker, often angling his projects to reflect conversations of inequality and political turmoil. Franco's newest film, Dreams, continues this trend as the film follows the relationship between Jennifer (Jessica Chastain), a wealthy socialite, and Fernando (Isaac Hernández), an undocumented ballet dancer who has come to the United States to pursue his dream and relationship with Jennifer. As Fernando finds his footing in the United States, his relationship with Jennifer explores the discrepancy of agency and power between the two individuals based on their legal standings as citizens and individual desires.
Franco's filmography has historically explored concepts of privilege and power, asking what happens when one group has a dominant power over another and questioning the effects when that line is tested. From an uprising in Mexico in New Order to family conflict in the face of grief in Sundown, Franco's films are often larger than life, which makes Dreams feel somewhat unique within his filmography. For much of its runtime, Dreams is a quieter Franco film, focusing on Jennifer and Fernando's relationship, which can finally be realized after Fernando makes his way across the border into the United States. Fernando can start dancing more and begin to find a community and direction. For Jennifer, the emotions are complex. While being closer to Fernando has its joys, the relationship also threatens her social standing and challenges her greatly. She begins to question what she wants with the resources available to realize whatever future she wants. While the film is slower to drift into venom than Franco's other films, Dreams slowly pulls the curtain up to provide just as harsh a critique as his previous features.
Much of the film's power rests on the shoulders of its lead performers. Isaac Hernández bursts onto the scene with a likable performance, bringing to life a man who is following his dreams and has finally made it. He is confident and passionate, feeling infectiously human. However, it is Jessica Chastain who delivers something transcendent. Chastain has always been one of the finest working actors, proving to be able to balance the moral flaws of a character with their genuine desire for good and happiness. While Chastain has used this ability to channel real-life figures in projects such as Aaron Sorkin's Molly's Game and Michael Showalter's The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Dreams allows her to capture this complexity within a character and truly make it her own. Whether Jennifer is intentionally employing it or not, she has power over Fernando based on their individual citizenship status. There are luxuries and privileges Jennifer can enjoy that are impossible for Fernando, who is forced to operate within a society that is systemically hostile towards him. As the film progresses, this imbalance of power becomes a bigger and bigger force within their relationship.
This conversation has naturally become even more poignant with recent events. While ICE's inhumane treatment and abuse of undocumented individuals has a long documented history, over the last year these conversations have had a renewed fire as the President of the United States, Donald Trump, has increased ICE's presence and usage across the country, prompting mass protest and anger. The abuse of human life led by this has become more documented and discussed than ever before. Dreams, which originally premiered over a year ago at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival, finds a new urgency and weight as its conversations on the harsh conditions put on undocumented immigrants and the struggles they face as they find a new life in the United States feel more needed than ever.
The character of Fernando paints a portrait of the experience of many undocumented immigrants as a hard-working and respectable young man who is trying his best and enriching the country he has come to. As he adjusts to his new life and can be with Jennifer, he shows the realization of a dream for many undocumented immigrants. It shows that these individuals can integrate into the country and can find a community. While for many this seems obvious, recent events have proven that for many, this simple positive projection could be read as radical. However, it is the systemic greed and inequality of power of the ruling class that challenge Fernando's dream. The problem is not with Fernando or inherently how he interacts with the world, but rather the flawed structures of the world outside of his control. Franco's viewpoint is not one of faith or blind hope; it is instead bitter and understanding that this inequality of power will almost always breed tragedy and that we cannot realize a better tomorrow without addressing the flaws of today.
Franco continues to be one of the most important working filmmakers. Without missing a step, Dreams adds to his already impressive catalog of thoughtful and socially relevant features, which offer haunting yet nuanced looks at how power flows through the society that has been built. Perhaps his most poignant film to date in relation to current events, Dreams remains a complex and powerful feature. In the film, an undocumented artist is given humanity and understanding that has tragically been removed and ignored by many forms of media. However, Dreams is also a stark reminder of where society currently stands in their treatement and objectification of undocumented individuals.
Franco's filmography has historically explored concepts of privilege and power, asking what happens when one group has a dominant power over another and questioning the effects when that line is tested. From an uprising in Mexico in New Order to family conflict in the face of grief in Sundown, Franco's films are often larger than life, which makes Dreams feel somewhat unique within his filmography. For much of its runtime, Dreams is a quieter Franco film, focusing on Jennifer and Fernando's relationship, which can finally be realized after Fernando makes his way across the border into the United States. Fernando can start dancing more and begin to find a community and direction. For Jennifer, the emotions are complex. While being closer to Fernando has its joys, the relationship also threatens her social standing and challenges her greatly. She begins to question what she wants with the resources available to realize whatever future she wants. While the film is slower to drift into venom than Franco's other films, Dreams slowly pulls the curtain up to provide just as harsh a critique as his previous features.
Much of the film's power rests on the shoulders of its lead performers. Isaac Hernández bursts onto the scene with a likable performance, bringing to life a man who is following his dreams and has finally made it. He is confident and passionate, feeling infectiously human. However, it is Jessica Chastain who delivers something transcendent. Chastain has always been one of the finest working actors, proving to be able to balance the moral flaws of a character with their genuine desire for good and happiness. While Chastain has used this ability to channel real-life figures in projects such as Aaron Sorkin's Molly's Game and Michael Showalter's The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Dreams allows her to capture this complexity within a character and truly make it her own. Whether Jennifer is intentionally employing it or not, she has power over Fernando based on their individual citizenship status. There are luxuries and privileges Jennifer can enjoy that are impossible for Fernando, who is forced to operate within a society that is systemically hostile towards him. As the film progresses, this imbalance of power becomes a bigger and bigger force within their relationship.
This conversation has naturally become even more poignant with recent events. While ICE's inhumane treatment and abuse of undocumented individuals has a long documented history, over the last year these conversations have had a renewed fire as the President of the United States, Donald Trump, has increased ICE's presence and usage across the country, prompting mass protest and anger. The abuse of human life led by this has become more documented and discussed than ever before. Dreams, which originally premiered over a year ago at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival, finds a new urgency and weight as its conversations on the harsh conditions put on undocumented immigrants and the struggles they face as they find a new life in the United States feel more needed than ever.
The character of Fernando paints a portrait of the experience of many undocumented immigrants as a hard-working and respectable young man who is trying his best and enriching the country he has come to. As he adjusts to his new life and can be with Jennifer, he shows the realization of a dream for many undocumented immigrants. It shows that these individuals can integrate into the country and can find a community. While for many this seems obvious, recent events have proven that for many, this simple positive projection could be read as radical. However, it is the systemic greed and inequality of power of the ruling class that challenge Fernando's dream. The problem is not with Fernando or inherently how he interacts with the world, but rather the flawed structures of the world outside of his control. Franco's viewpoint is not one of faith or blind hope; it is instead bitter and understanding that this inequality of power will almost always breed tragedy and that we cannot realize a better tomorrow without addressing the flaws of today.
Franco continues to be one of the most important working filmmakers. Without missing a step, Dreams adds to his already impressive catalog of thoughtful and socially relevant features, which offer haunting yet nuanced looks at how power flows through the society that has been built. Perhaps his most poignant film to date in relation to current events, Dreams remains a complex and powerful feature. In the film, an undocumented artist is given humanity and understanding that has tragically been removed and ignored by many forms of media. However, Dreams is also a stark reminder of where society currently stands in their treatement and objectification of undocumented individuals.