I’ve just finished watching Longlegs (4/5) and wondered who the villain was. To my surprise when I Googled to see who the actor was, it was Nicholas Cage. Wow, what a performance. I can’t tell if it’s good or bad or what the director was going for, but you need to see the performance nonetheless. I then saw this Reddit post which argues why casting Nic Cage is bad for your horror/thriller movie if you want it to be taken seriously.
If anything, it makes me want to seek out more of his over the top performances. Here are ten movies now on my watchlist.
Vampire’s Kiss
Tagline: He’s not a vampire, but don’t tell him that.
For Fans of: American Psycho, Barton Fink, The Lighthouse
A delusional literary agent spirals into madness after a one-night stand convinces him he’s turning into a vampire. Cage delivers a performance so unhinged it borders on performance art, complete with cockroach consumption and alphabet-screaming. The film skewers yuppie narcissism with surreal flair and pitch-black humour. It’s a cult classic for anyone who enjoys watching sanity unravel in real time.
Deadfall
Tagline: Crime, cocaine, and Cage combusting on a gas stove.
For Fans of: Scarface, The Room, Crank
This low-budget crime drama is barely coherent, but Cage’s brief appearance as Eddie King is pure chaos—he shouts every line like he’s being electrocuted. The plot involves con artists, double-crosses, and a lot of yelling, with Michael Biehn and James Coburn trying to hold it together. Cage’s death scene alone is worth the price of admission. It’s a glorious trainwreck that somehow spawned a sequel just to bring him back.
Face/Off
Tagline: Identity theft has never been this theatrical.
For Fans of: Mission: Impossible, The Rock, Heat
John Woo’s action opera pits Cage against John Travolta in a face-swapping showdown that’s equal parts explosive and absurd. As terrorist Castor Troy, Cage gleefully devours scenery before Travolta takes over the role and matches his energy beat for beat. His performance is a masterclass in operatic villainy, complete with gold guns and gospel choirs. It’s the kind of blockbuster that dares to be ridiculous—and wins.
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans
Tagline: Justice is relative. Sanity is optional.
For Fans of: Training Day, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Uncut Gems
Werner Herzog directs Cage as a corrupt cop spiralling through drug-fuelled hallucinations and moral decay in post-Katrina New Orleans. The plot loosely follows a murder investigation, but the real draw is Cage’s twitchy, unpredictable descent into madness. His performance includes threatening old ladies, laughing maniacally, and hallucinating iguanas. It’s a fever dream disguised as a police drama, and somehow it works.
The Wicker Man (2006)
Tagline: Not the bees. Not the plot. Not the remake anyone asked for.
For Fans of: Midsommar, The Happening, Rosemary’s Baby
This remake of the British folk horror classic swaps subtle dread for Cage in full panic mode, punching women in bear suits and screaming about bees. The story follows a policeman investigating a missing girl on a remote island, where pagan rituals and plot holes abound. Cage’s wide-eyed hysteria turns every scene into accidental comedy. It’s a disaster, but an unforgettable one.
Longlegs
Tagline: Evil wears a smile—and a truly cursed wig.
For Fans of: Hereditary, Silence of the Lambs, Seven
Maika Monroe stars as an FBI agent tracking a cryptic serial killer whose crimes defy logic and sanity. Cage plays the killer with chilling theatricality, buried under prosthetics and menace. His performance is both restrained and spiritually deranged, like a sermon from the abyss. Director Osgood Perkins crafts a horror film that’s more ritual than narrative, and it lingers like a bad dream.
Mandy
Tagline: Love, loss, and chainsaw duels in hell’s backyard.
For Fans of: The Witch, Hellraiser, Kill Bill
Visually hypnotic and emotionally raw, Mandy follows a lumberjack (Cage) on a revenge quest against a cult that destroyed his world. Director Panos Cosmatos drenches the film in neon and grief, turning every frame into a psychedelic painting. Cage’s performance is primal, veering between silent anguish and operatic rage. It’s not just a horror film—it’s a cosmic elegy.
Mom and Dad
Tagline: Parents just lost their minds—and their moral compass.
For Fans of: The Purge, Ready or Not, Shaun of the Dead
A mysterious signal causes parents to turn violently against their children, and Cage is terrifyingly perfect as a suburban dad gone feral. Alongside Selma Blair, he channels manic energy into a role that’s equal parts hilarious and horrifying. His performance is a masterclass in gleeful destruction, complete with sledgehammers and psychotic grins. It’s a high-concept bloodbath with a wicked sense of humour.
Color Out of Space
Tagline: Cosmic horror meets alpaca farming.
For Fans of: Annihilation, The Thing, Event Horizon
Based on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story, this neon-drenched nightmare sees Cage as a father slowly unravelled by a mysterious meteorite and its mind-warping effects. Director Richard Stanley blends body horror with sci-fi surrealism, and Cage leans into the madness with twitchy brilliance. His performance includes alpaca meltdowns and cosmic screaming fits. It’s weird, wild, and weirdly moving.
Ghost Rider
Tagline: Hell’s bounty hunter rides a flaming motorbike.
For Fans of: Constantine, Blade, Spawn
Cage plays Johnny Blaze, a stuntman who sells his soul and becomes a demonic vigilante with a flaming skull and a thirst for vengeance. Inspired by cobra movements and Trent Reznor’s stage presence, his performance is hypnotic, if not entirely coherent. The film itself is a CGI-heavy mess, but Cage’s commitment to the role is undeniable. It’s comic-book camp with a metal soundtrack and a lot of fire.
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