Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to choose what they think is the best movie under a certain topic related to a recent release. So this week, with the release of Renfield, which co-stars Nicolas Cage, we’re counting down our favorite movies starring the iconic actor! Let us know @SiftPop what your ranking is!
While Nic Cage is known for his outlandish, extreme spectrum of acting, it’s what he does from time to time let the story take the wheel. National Treasure follows Benjamin Franklin Gates’s search for the titular treasure, left by the founding fathers. It’s a globe.. er.. Nation-trotting adventure to solve the clues left in artifacts and puzzles, relying on historical knowledge and some cleverness in code-cracking. Cage carries the movie with his earnest desire to find the treasure out of reverence for the historical significance rather than wealth. It’s when he is betrayed early on by his financier that he must race to solve the puzzles, and even steal the Declaration of Independence, to make sure the treasure isn’t ill gotten. The movie is really fun, and the locations, puzzles, and the ways those puzzles are solved make it a great watch, which is a breezy but inventive. While the second film goes too hard into the deus ex machina of puzzlery, this one finds the perfect balance. (Evan Lucken)
A little over three months after Nicolas Cage accepted the Oscar for Best Actor for Leaving Las Vegas, his next theatrical release exploded onto the screen, cementing his incredible range and talent as an entertainer. The Rock is a quintessential ‘90s, action-packed thrill ride that does everything right. It has a great concept, gifting us an unlikely team-up of Cage and Sean Connery to save San Francisco via an incursion underwater to retake an impregnable fortress held by an elite team of U.S. Marines in possession of 81 hostages and 15 guided rockets, and armed with V.X. poison gas. Cage is the deliciously overacted, Stanley Goodspeed, an F.B.I. chemical weapons expert completely in over his head tasked with regaining control of Alcatraz, with Connery as John Patrick Mason, a former British secret agent, turned wrongly incarcerated ex-con, and for my money the last truly fantastic role of his film career. The story is also bolstered by a terrific villain, Brigadier General Francis X. Hummel(Ed Harris), a disillusioned treasonist who is more than a mustache-twirling bad guy. It’s a movie that is testosterone-fueled — Goodspeed behind the wheel of a stolen, bright yellow Ferrari in pursuit of a fleeing Mason in a black Humvee (also stolen), springs to mind — but also consistently hilarious, with a memorable list of one-liners — “How in the name of Zeus’ BUTT HOLE did you get out of your cell?” — and adversarial bickering between the two reluctant partners in their mission to save millions. (Jonathan Fedee)
I know that, especially these days, we really want Nicolas Cage to be as unleashed as possible, but we can’t forget that on occasion, he’s an excellent actor. Fortunately for those of us who just want to see him freak out, Matchstick Men does provide a moment that should still that urge of ours, but it also simply features a great performance from him. He plays Roy Waller, a con man with a variety of phobias. You might think that’s fuel for some classic outrageous Cage, but the movie is surprisingly sweet. Ridley Scott doesn’t generally make comedies, but there’s a lot more laughs here than you might expect, though Sam Rockwell’s inclusion in the cast might tip you off to a few. Overall, Matchstick Men is a light, surprisingly warm film about a con man’s sudden responsibilities for his teenage daughter that should not go ignored simply because it doesn’t contain the absolute peak of Cage’s absurdities. (Chris Bakker)
Why do we love Nic Cage? He is one of the wildest and most unhinged performers in all of film. What is his wildest and most unhinged film? Mandy. Panos Cosmatos delivered a crazed fever dream of a film that unfortunately most people have never heard of. If you take the time to watch this horrifying fantasy, you will never forget it. This revenge thriller finds Cage as a broken and dangerous man whose life is destroyed by a nefarious and insecure cult leader. This synth-drenched and neon-birthed film delivers some of the most disturbing imagery you will see in film. Cage carries the film with a spiraling performance of a man who goes from a reserved and loving husband in the wilderness to a blood-covered killing machine that will stop at nothing to destroy the cult that destroyed his life. The cinematography and score are otherworldly, and Cage’s performance is one of his best. Mandy is a thrill ride that will make you rethink the limits film can take us and just how powerful a director’s vision can be. (Shane Conto)
As someone new to the world of parenting, Raising Arizona hits close to home now, especially the concept of how it only takes a quick smile from Nathan Arizona Jr. to turn hardened criminals into wannabe caretakers. Nicolas Cage’s kinetic performances are always intriguing, but in Raising Arizona, the Coen brothers provide him the perfect arena in which to play. When his serial robber character H. I. McDunnough falls for an officer named Ed (Holly Hunter) through repeated bookings, they meet somewhere in the middle, morally. But when they are unable to conceive, this results in them kidnapping one-fifth of the quintuplets from a prominent family. Adding in a hilariously daft pair of convict brothers played by John Goodman and William Forsythe rounds out this delightfully screwball comedy. The slightly heightened reality is at its best with the physical comedy in action sequences, like the anarchy of the chase by both cops and dogs, along with the fight scene between friends. This is one of those rare movies where there is nobody to root for with everyone being corrupt, aside from maybe the baby. Yet the Coens manage to bring it all together with a satisfying, saccharine ending. This movie even features Cage acting opposite a bounty hunter character oddly reminiscent of Ghost Rider, 20 years before he took on the role. (Jason Mack)
Nicolas Cage may have inadvertently cornered the market on absolutely bizarre film roles whilst becoming one of the most respected actors in the industry. I think you need to look no farther than his early performance in Moonstruck that really shows how beautifully his choices can be. By its structure, Moonstruck is a fairly simple romantic comedy. A woman is engaged to someone she doesn’t really love, but she feels sort of stuck in life. An opportunity arises for her to meet her fiancé’s brother for the first time. Sparks fly and shenanigans ensue. Hallmark loves the formula. But what makes Moonstruck so distinct in its field is that it fully leans into the bizarre with clever writing and magnetic characters. Cher and Cage play our two primary leads, and they are electric together. And it’s a perfect example of Cage making some deliberate acting decisions that just work perfectly for the character of Ronny. And then there is Cher, who is easily holding her own against her sometimes larger-than-life romantic interest. It’s fantastic to watch. It’s the type of movie that I would say you should check all your expectations at the door, in the best possible way. It immerses you in this wild and hilarious ride, and along the way you quickly fall in love with this family. If you haven’t given Moonstruck a chance, I implore you to give it a shot. (Nashua Doll)
It’s an understatement that Nicolas Cage brings a certain energy to his performances. In 2021’s Pig, Cage is more subdued and somber, which pegs down the type of performance needed for this film. Cage can sometimes say very little, but carry so much weight through his expressions. Playing Rob, a character that has it all within the culinary world until his wife tragically dies, is a change of pace for Cage. It’s as if a part of himself is ripped from him, and only this single pig is holding him together, almost literally. When his prized truffle pig is violently ripped from him, Cage is on a highly focused mission to retrieve his cherished pig companion. What makes this film special is how the story unfolds and is handled; this is definitely for those who are not opposed to a slow burn experience. Pig reminds those who haven’t seen a Nicolas Cage film in a while how talented he is when given great material to work with. (Joe Vargas)
Probably one of the best animated films to come out of the last decade is the 2018 Sony Animation film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. After Peter Parker dies at the hands of Kingpin, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is thrust into the role of Spider-Man, when various Spider-Men and women from across the multiverse are brought into Miles’ world, including Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage), Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), and Spider-Ham (John Mulaney). All of them must come together to defeat Kingpin and his group of supervillains, and take each other back to their own universe. Everything from the voice acting, to the animation, to the humor fires on all cylinders! Even casual Marvel fans can appreciate this film for the heartwarming origin story of a reluctant teenager who learns to take a leap of faith and become the hero he was already destined to become! (Jeff Alan)
What a career Nic Cage has had. Making unhinged films, taking on roles and then making them unhinged and just for the sake of it… In 1995, he took on a serious role in Leaving Las Vegas, and won an Oscar for it. What makes this decision more special is that Cage was mainly known as a comedic actor in “silly” films before he landed this role. Leaving Las Vegas is a tough film to watch, as Cage’s character slowly but unfortunately destroys himself and everyone around him due to his alcohol addiction. It is a brutally dark film, and what makes it that much darker is, tragically, some viewers may recognize somebody they know in Cage’s character. Or much worse, themselves. Knowing what he does won’t lead to anything great, but doing it anyway, is the very definition of addiction, and Cage puts on a performance that is arguably his peak. Sure, many fans will preferably remember his funny, unhinged performances rather than this depressing tale of an alcoholic slowly killing himself, but what a film and performance for Cage. I wish we would get more of this Cage, and I am writing this as someone who enjoys him being as unhinged as it gets. Leaving Las Vegas may not be the most accessible film to sit through, but if you do, you will get rewarded for it by seeing something you won’t forget any time soon. (Luke Burian)
What could be more fun than watching Nic Cage sink his teeth into a meaty role? How about TWO Nic Cages sinking their teeth into a pair of meaty roles? Thanks to the creative minds of Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman, audiences are treated to such a scenario in Adaptation. This drama (injected with a surprising mixture of other genres) is a deeply contemplative look at the creative process. We feel the struggles of Kaufman (the writer, who made himself a character) on screen as we witness his process to write his next big film, while his fictitious twin brother succeeds in falling up. We get plenty out of Cage with one performance drenched in anxiety and insecurity, and another dripping in confidence and overall reckless abandon (at least creatively). There is a class between “art” and “creating a product.” But outside of the tortured presence of Cage, this film treats the audience to an unexpected romance between a renowned journalist (Meryl Streep) and a grifter man of the swamps (Chris Cooper). The narrative is packed with twists, the themes are pregnant with meaning, and the performances are top notch. There is only one film where you can get this unique experience: Adaptation. (Shane Conto)
Lord of War
From the opening scene showing the journey of a bullet, Lord of War takes hold of you to showcase the wild world of arms dealing. We follow Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage), who rose up through the ranks of arms dealership after finding inspiration from Russian mobsters. This was the last of Cage’s best movies from the 1990s and early 2000s; it all went downhill for a while after this. Lord of War sends a strong message about the circle of violence that perpetuates arms trading. People need firearms, and as long as there is a need for more power and survival, guns will have a place in this world. Yuri exploits this and uses it for his financial gain, no matter what it costs. Cage gives an outstanding and subtle performance, and Yuri’s relationship with his brother Vitaly (Jared Leto) is one of the highlights of the movie. At first, it is about family and making a life for himself, but it quickly evolves into the thrill of getting more money for his family. Lord of War might be Cage’s most underrated work, and one that deserves more eyeballs. (Mike Hilty)
Bringing Out the Dead
It’s not often talked about, but in the all-time movie year of 1999, one of the most iconic directors (Martin Scorsese) teamed up with one of the most iconic actors (Nicolas Cage) for a fever dream set over the course of three days in New York City: Bringing Out the Dead. Following Frank (Cage), the movie shows his exploits as an ambulance paramedic as he comes across people who need help, but don’t want it, or vice versa, and it increasingly gets to Frank emotionally and psychologically. This film is co-written by Paul Schrader and is directed by Scorsese, so of course it’s littered with religious subtext, and it’s handled with so much care by Scorsese, and performed with so much honesty by Cage. (Robert Bouffard)
Face/Off
The 1997 John Woo action movie Face/Off, starring Nic Cage and John Travolta, is one of the zaniest entries in both of these actors’ careers. It also happens to be one of the most fun as well! Face/Off is the Fast and Furious of the ‘90s: It’s incredibly self-serious at times, it knows when to stop being serious and start being crazy, there are a couple actors who know what movie they’re in and ham it up, and the constant plot contrivances that keep the story going are plentiful! I want to talk about how absolutely batty Cage is in this movie, and how he steals the show with his performance, but Travolta gives Cage a run for his money by being an even crazier Nic Cage than Nic Cage is at times. Both of these guys find ways to both chew the scenery and be overly sincere, and I can never look away while they are playing their respective parts. Castor Troy as a character is just an actor’s permission slip to go as big as possible, and the choices John Woo makes visually to enhance that insanity put Face/Off in the must-see category of Cage’s filmography! (Nick Ferro)
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Nic Cage has been a well-talked-about movie star over the past few decades. He seemingly went from critically acclaimed films to straight-to-DVD movies, but the film that brought him back (“not that he went anywhere”) was The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. The film is Cage playing himself at the end of his rope, and thinking about quitting acting, when Javi (Pedro Pascal) offers to pay him to come to his birthday in Spain. I won’t spoil it more than that, because this is an insane movie that only someone like Cage could make work. With how well Cage and Pascal work together, I would watch them sit around for two hours talking about movies. There weren’t too many people outside of movie buffs and fans of Cage and Pascal who saw this movie, but with TikTok recently making a driving scene between Cage and Pascal a meme, I hope more people come to it. I am glad to have both seen this movie in a theater, and with my best friend. We are still quoting it over a year later. It will definitely find itself on my annual rewatch list, and I certainly still enjoy it. (Austen Terry)
Kick-Ass
Kick-Ass is one of the most daring and fun superhero movies in recent memory. It doesn’t hit every note, but you have to give it credit for trying new things. It follows Dave Lizewski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) as he decides to become a superhero, despite not having superpowers or training. What ensues is a fun, violent, and hilarious adventure, as Dave sets out to put a stop to violent crime and get his dream girl. This movie features some really exciting action pieces and the perfect use of the song “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley. Nicolas Cage gets to play a deranged superhero, and he is clearly having a blast. This movie also serves as Chloë Grace Moretz’s breakout role. If you are a fan of action comedies, you should definitely check this one out. (Kaleb Wolters)
Valley Girl
40 years ago, a fresh-faced Nicolas Coppola got his first starring role as lead man in the everything ‘80’s, almost rom-com, Valley Girl. For the first time credited as Nicolas Cage, he would slide into his black boots, skinny tie, and spiked hair to embody the city-dwelling, punk rock lifestyle of Randy. Being the epitome of all that is ‘80’s, queen of popularity, pastel coated, sushi eating, charge card flashing, Julie (Deborah Foreman) falls for Randy hard and fast, much to the disappointment of her friends. In what basically develops into a Romeo & Juliet storyline, this flick is filled with all the emotion, drama, conflict, and anguish of the Shakespearean classic, but with all the greatest bits of the ‘80’s. The best thing about watching Valley Girl is that even though it is very much 1983 in every way, it could just as easily take place today. The friend dynamics, dialed-up emotions, and motivations are the same for teenagers in any time period. Very few actors hit a home run their first time out, and luckily for us, Nicolas Cage is one who does. If Valley Girl is currently a hole in your Cageography, there’s no excuse to wait. It’s well worth the time, and surprisingly quirky bits of unhinged Cage shine through from the very start of what is by far one of the most eclectic acting careers of all time. (Patrice Downing)
Wild at Heart
Before Nicolas Cage became an action star and A-lister, and way before he became the king of weird performances, he was a working actor, trying to find his place in the business. After breaking through with films like Raising Arizona and Moonstruck, Cage had the opportunity to work with visionary director David Lynch in the film Wild At Heart. Cage stars as Sailor Ripley, who runs away with his girlfriend, Lula Fortune (Laura Dern). Lula’s mother, Marietta (Diane Ladd) is an obsessive maniac who forbids Lula to see Sailor, and also pursues multiple plans to have Sailor killed. Wild At Heart is a downright fever dream throughout. This, of course, is right in step with most of Lynch’s work; it keeps a consistent tone that is both bonkers madness, and stays grounded in its southern setting, even if the characters are exaggerated. Cage especially swings for the fences, but he’s not even the weirdest thing about this movie. There are plenty of scenes that have the characters doing a number of things you wouldn’t expect, while putting in some insane, over-the-top performances. Willem Dafoe might do this the best, coming into the second half the film with his slimy, insane portrayal of Bobby Peru. In the grand scheme of the Cage filmography, this stands out as an interesting project that showcases his ability to bring the passion and intensity of a character like Sailor Ripley to life. (Jacob Kinman)
Snowden
It’s interesting for filmmakers to address political and social issues in their movies. They effectively communicate serious problems in society to viewers, and some of the biggest movie nerds highlight political and social undertones when they catch them. Now, after the N.S.A. revelations of Edward Snowden, director Oliver Stone showcases a thrilling biopic of the eventual whistleblower in Snowden, which takes us to 2013, where Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is set to reveal some dirty secrets to documentarian Laura Poitras (Melissa Leo) and journalist Glenn Greenwald (Zachary Quinto). The film transitions back to a medically discharged Snowden in 2004, and does a good job of linking the past and present together. Highlighting Snowden’s conservative patriot ways helps adds to the emotional weight of revealing U.S. government spying. He meets Professor Hank Forrester (Nicolas Cage), whose role seems to tell viewers that the government does bad things sometimes. Gordon-Levitt has tremendous support from his fellow cast members. Shailene Woodley is present in all of her scenes, and delivers some powerful lines during an argument with Snowden. Stone helps Snowden out a lot with having some sympathizers supporting him. Corbin O’Brian (Rhys Ifans) performs his sinister father like figure pretty well. The various layers and Snowden’s revelations gives viewers a chance to take in their thoughts on the surveillance state. The movie makes you root for Snowden, as Stone portrays him as hero. (Christian Grullon)
Con Air
For my money, if I want over-the-top Nicolas Cage, Con Air is my picture of choice. He plays a former Army Ranger screwed over by perhaps the worst lawyer in cinematic history, and is subsequently trapped on the titular plane, hijacked by eccentric criminals right as his freedom finally beckons. This film has everything: terrible Cage wig, the so-bad-it’s-good Cage accent, unhinged John Malkovich as a scenery-chewing villain with the moniker Cyrus “The Virus,” Steve Buscemi as a creepy pedophile, Ving Rhames Ving Rhames-ing, Dave Chapelle as comedic relief, a plane crashing into the Las Vegas Strip, and dueling versions of the movie’s power ballad. What more could you possibly want from the promise of this title? (Jake Bourgeois)
Vampire’s Kiss
You haven’t truly seen Nicolas Cage until you’ve seen Vampire’s Kiss. A movie that needs to be seen to be believed, Vampire’s Kiss follows a literary agent (Cage) who believes he is turning into a vampire. If the film’s golden premise is not enough to sell you, it features what I will argue is the single most watchable performance of all time. Whether it be manically reciting the alphabet or spinning around in an office chair while wearing sunglasses and munching on pistachios, every frame of this movie is a gift. Cage’s utterly insane performance is made so memorable by how seriously every other actor in the film takes their role. Taking notable inspiration from Expressionist film performances of the 1920s, there is an underappreciated method to Cage’s madness. Had he been born 70 years earlier, it is not hard to imagine a world where Cage could have been a silent film star in the vein of Lon Chaney or Conrad Veidt. In our modern era, however, Cage is in a class of his own, and there is no better piece of evidence to support this fact than the incomparable Vampire’s Kiss. (Foster Harlfinger)