Elizabeth Banks Takes on Trippy Body Horror and the Allure of AI in ‘DreamQuil’
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Portraying a woman who inadvertently clones herself in a near-future hellscape, Banks sees her new movie as a chilling commentary on our time — one that just happened to pose an acting challenge like she's never experienced before.
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SXSW Exclusive Elizabeth Banks Takes on Trippy Body Horror and the Allure of AI in ‘DreamQuil’ Portraying a woman who inadvertently clones herself in a near-future hellscape, Banks sees her new movie as a chilling commentary on our time — one that just happened to pose an acting challenge like she's never experienced before. By David Canfield Plus Icon David Canfield Senior Entertainment Writer View All March 10, 2026 Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment At the height of the pandemic in 2020 , the award-winning artist Alex Prager sent her sister, fellow artist Vanessa Prager, the “YearQuil” meme — a parodic spin on NyQuil which advertised the chance to sleep until the world returned to normal. Their ensuing conversation swerved around toward, “What if 2020 lasts forever?” The terrifying prospect provided the foundation for DreamQuil , Prager’s feature directorial debut (co-written with Vanessa), set in the not-so-distant future as dangerous environmental conditions force people to stay inside and lead predominantly virtual lives. Related Stories News Demi Moore, Keke Palmer, Bob Odenkirk, Andy Cohen, Jane Fonda, More Among SXSW Innovation, Music and Film/TV Speakers Movies Is That the Mushrooms Talking? Trippy Sci-Fi Doc 'Daughters of the Forest' About Indigenous Fungi Experts Makes You Wonder (Exclusive Trailer) “The effects of the pandemic and how that would transform into a film could be really fun and entertaining to watch,” Prager says of how she and Vanessa conceived the idea. “And we could also talk about a way to reclaim our humanity — by inviting us into our own collapse.” And what a collapse she imagines. DreamQuil stars Elizabeth Banks as Carol, who senses her marriage falling apart amid claustrophobic domestic conditions. She’s sick of cooking and cleaning; her lif...
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