Elizabeth Banks Stars in Trippy Body Horror 'DreamQuil'

The film, directed by Alex Prager, is a chilling commentary on our tech-driven times.

Mar. 10, 2026 at 5:22pm

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In the near-future, dangerous environmental conditions force people to stay inside and lead predominantly virtual lives. Elizabeth Banks stars as Carol, who senses her marriage falling apart amid claustrophobic domestic conditions. Desperate, Carol is lured into a digital wellness retreat called DreamQuil, run by a vague corporate entity promising rejuvenation. When Carol returns home, she finds her husband and son being cared for by her robot doppelgänger, Carol Two, a flawlessly cheery homemaker who may pose an existential threat.

Why it matters

DreamQuil explores the rapid integration of AI into everyday life, both its allure and its dangers. The film speaks to contemporary trends like the return of the "trad wife" and people's desire to create better versions of themselves, even if it means losing touch with their humanity.

The details

Directed by artist Alex Prager and co-written with her sister Vanessa, DreamQuil has a surreal, midcentury visual style achieved through the use of Baltar lenses and Mole lights. The film tackles Prager's concerns about "the strange, absurd indifference of tech companies towards the lived human experience and human expression." Banks' performance as both Carol and her robot double required her to walk a "fine line" to make the dynamic "super weird but believable."

  • DreamQuil was shot nearly two years ago.
  • The film premieres on Monday at SXSW.

The players

Elizabeth Banks

An award-winning actress who stars as Carol and her robot doppelgänger Carol Two in DreamQuil.

Alex Prager

The director of DreamQuil, known for her distinctive visual style. She co-wrote the film with her sister Vanessa.

Vanessa Prager

The co-writer of DreamQuil, collaborating with her sister Alex on the film's script.

John C. Reilly

An acclaimed actor who plays Carol's husband in DreamQuil.

Daniel Kwan

An Oscar-winning filmmaker who advised Alex Prager as she prepared to direct her first feature film.

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What they’re saying

“What I love about her aesthetic is that you really can't pinpoint the [era] depending on hair, makeup, visual style...when people ask me, 'Is this in the future? In the past?' it's sort of like, 'It's either!' You don't know where you are or when you are.”

— Elizabeth Banks, Actress

“I was thinking a lot about the strange, absurd indifference of tech companies towards the lived human experience and human expression. Feeling uncomfortable things is okay because that's a sign that we're alive, but most people these days want to numb themselves or go to sleep so they don't have to experience something uncomfortable. I wanted to look into that: What are the consequences of deciding you're not going to confront feeling something really uncomfortable?”

— Alex Prager, Director

“The robot version of myself has a better body and a bigger booty and better hair and shinier lips, and all of that made me walk a different way, stand a different way. I wanted it to be super weird. How do I make it something that's super awkward but believable? It was a fine line to walk the whole time we were filming.”

— Elizabeth Banks, Actress

What’s next

DreamQuil will continue its festival run after premiering at SXSW.

The takeaway

DreamQuil is a chilling commentary on our tech-driven times, exploring the allure and dangers of AI and people's desire to create idealized versions of themselves, even at the cost of their humanity.