Dreams (Franco, 2025) - Berlinale

The world for an illegal immigrant in the US is a troubled tale, and with Michel Franco’s Dreams (2025) it feels as though dreams may come true for one individual. Starring Jessica Chastain and Isaac Hernandez, Dreams comes from Mexican director Michel Franco’s own screenplay and Chastain has admitted to how political the film is – putting her own politics aside to star in the film. Audiences may find Dreams tough to watch, and it may be difficult for some to understand, but the heart and importance that Franco put into the story is there.

Dreams tells a story of a young Mexican ballet dancer, Fernando (Hernandez). Dreaming of moving to America and gaining international fame and a life in the ballet, he illegally crosses the border. Wealthy US socialites, the McCarthy’s have set up a foundation in Mexico for dancers, and the audience learns that this is how Fernando was discovered by Jennifer McCarthy (Chastain). A past that is not entirely known to the audience, however, Jennifer worries about Fernando’s illegal crossing into the US. Jennifer is a socialite and philanthropist, working for her father’s company and helping form the dance foundation down in Mexico City. Fernando, on the other hand, believes that Jennifer will support him in his endeavours. Unexpecting Fernando’s arrival, Jennifer’s carefully curated world starts to unravel from the disruption. Madly in love with Fernando, she believes that she can do whatever it takes to protect their future together – while saving the life she has built for herself in the process.

A carefully crafted film, nonetheless, Franco takes us through the world of Fernando while he crosses the border and into Jennifer’s socialite life. Once in the big city of San Francisco, the cinematography feels fancy and precise, like pieces of architecture – with specific angles, both within the frame and the framing itself.

With such a difficult subject, audience members may become uncomfortable. As Dreams begins, Jennifer and Fernando are deep in love. Yet, one wrong phrase, throws their chemistry off and sends Fernando on the run. As a wealthy white woman, Jennifer is constantly worried about how their relationship will look to her socialite friends. Even with Fernando hiding from her, however, she still tries to help him as best she can while using the endless resources available to her. Chastain’s voice remains constant and soothing through the film’s entirety. Her chemistry with Hernandez conveys the love the characters have for each other.

Dance feels somewhat like a background character in Dreams, and even so, the talent from Fernandez as Fernando helps strengthen the ‘dream’. From dancing on the street after leaving Jennifer, dancing with a company, to teaching young children at the Academy, dance is an important element Franco did not leave out of his film.

As Jennifer and Fernando reconcile and it seems as though his dreams may come true, Franco reminds the audience that all of this can come crashing down in seconds – especially when you are an illegal Mexican immigrant. One mention to ICE and you’ll be out of the country for good. As with their great chemistry, Chastain and Hernandez showed their skills with the tension they built between their characters in their dark moments.

The end of Michel Franco’s Dreams will leave audience shocked. It is a difficult subject to craft a film around, yet Franco, with his Mexican background, seems to have done it justice. Dreams might not have been made for everyone, but the message Franco implemented in the film is one to consider.