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Nicolas Cage is surely one of the most versatile actors of his generation. The actor is known for his ability to play a multitude of characters. He seamlessly transitions from intense and dramatic to light-hearted and comedic performances, showcasing his broad acting range.
During his career spanning over four-decades, the actor immersed himself in the roles he played, captivating the audience and immortalizing the characters. As Cage continues to impress us with his remarkable filmography, let us look at 10 of his best performances, ranked per the Rotten Tomatoes score of the movies.
10. Wild At Heart (1990)
- Streaming On: Amazon Video [On Rent] (US & India), Apple TV (US)
- RT Score: 65%
- Director: David Lynch
Plot: Cage and Laura Dern headed on a surreal road trip in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart. Based on Barry Gifford’s novel of the same name, the film follows the tumultuous journey of Sailor Ripley (Nicolas Cage) and Lula Fortune (Laura Dern), two young lovers on the run from Lula’s overbearing mother. Sailor, recently released from prison, is determined to protect Lula from her mother’s attempts to separate them. As they drive through desolate landscapes, their love is tested by a series of violent and surreal events.
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9. The Rock (1996)
- Streaming On: Google Play, YouTube [On Rent] (India), Apple TV (US)
- RT Score: 67%
- Director: Michael Bay
Plot: Cage plays an FBI chemist, Stanley Goodspeed, in this Michael Bay directorial. The action thriller film begins with a group of rogue military officers seizing control of Alcatraz Island and threatening to launch chemical weapons on San Francisco. Goodspeed then teams up with former British spy John Mason (Sean Connery), the only man to have escaped from Alcatraz, to infiltrate the island and stop the deadly plot.
8. Matchstick Men (2003)
- Streaming On: Amazon Video [On Rent] (US & India), Apple TV (India)
- RT Score: 82%
- Director: Ridley Scott
Plot: Directed by Ridley Scott, Matchstick Men features Nicolas Cage as Roy Waller, a skilled con artist with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Roy’s tightly controlled life is turned around when he discovers he has a teenage daughter, Angela, played by Alison Lohman. As he begins to bond with Angela, he includes her in his latest con with his partner, Frank (Sam Rockwell). The arrival of Angela brings unexpected changes to Roy’s life, forcing him to confront his past and rethink his choices.
7. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
- Streaming On: Apple TV (US & India)
- RT Score: 87%
- Director: Tom Gormican
Plot: Nicolas Cage played a fictionalized version of himself in this meta-comedy film directed by Tom Gormican. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent revolves around Cage, a Hollywood star who faces financial troubles and accepts a million-dollar offer to attend the birthday party of a superfan. Unexpectedly, he becomes involved in a real-life adventure involving the CIA and dangerous criminals. The film cleverly mixes action, comedy, and self-parody elements, highlighting Cage’s ability to poke fun at his own career.
6. Moonstruck (1987)
- Streaming On: Apple TV (US & India)
- RT Score: 90%
- Director: Norman Jewison
Plot: Moonstruck tells the story of Loretta Castorini, a widowed Italian-American woman living in Brooklyn, New York. Cher plays Loretta, who is engaged to Johnny Cammareri but finds herself drawn to his estranged brother, Ronny, portrayed by Cage. Johnny leaves for Italy to visit his dying mother, and Loretta is tasked with inviting Ronny to their wedding. The meeting ignites a passionate and complicated romance between Loretta and Ronny, leading them to question their life choices and feelings.
5. Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
- Streaming On: Amazon Video, Apple TV [On Rent] (US)
- RT Score: 90%
- Director: Mike Figgis
Plot: Based on John O’Brien’s novel of the same name, Leaving Las Vegas stars Cage stars as Ben Sanderson, a screenwriter who loses everything due to his alcoholism and decides to move to Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he forms an unlikely bond with Sera, a prostitute played by Elisabeth Shue, who accepts him unconditionally despite his self-destructive behavior. Cage’s raw and heartbreaking performance in the film earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor.
4. Adaptation (2002)
- Streaming On: Amazon Video, Apple TV [On Rent] (US)
- RT Score: 90%
- Director: Spike Jonze
Plot: Helmed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, Adaptation is a metafictional comedy film that blurs the lines between reality and fiction. Cage stars as Charlie Kaufman, a neurotic and self-doubting screenwriter tasked with adapting Susan Orlean’s non-fiction book, The Orchid Thief, into a screenplay. As Kaufman struggles with writer’s block and insecurities, he becomes increasingly obsessed with Orlean’s life and the subject of her book, John Laroche. The film blends Kaufman’s journey with dramatized elements from Orlean’s book, with Cage delivering a dual performance as Charlie and his fictional twin brother, Donald.
3. Raising Arizona (1987)
- Streaming On: Google Play, YouTube [On Rent] (India), Hulu (US)
- RT Score: 91%
- Director: Joel Coen
Plot: Featuring the perfect mix of crime and comedy, Raising Arizona follows the quirky tale of H.I. McDunnough, played by Cage, and his wife Ed, portrayed by Holly Hunter. H.I., a reformed ex-convict, and Ed, a police officer, dream of starting a family but struggle with infertility. They decide to kidnap one of the quintuplets born to a wealthy local family in a desperate attempt to fulfil their desire for children. Directed by the Coen Brothers, the film blends slapstick humor with heartfelt moments as H.I. and Ed face the challenges of parenthood while evading the law.
2. Mandy (2018)
- Streaming On: Amazon Video [On Rent] (US & India), Apple TV (US)
- RT Score: 91%
- Director: Panos Cosmatos
Plot: Set in the 1980s, Mandy tells the story of a couple, Red Miller (Cage) and Mandy Bloom (Andrea Riseborough), who live a peaceful, secluded life until a sadistic cult leader disrupts their world. When the hippie cult kidnaps Mandy, Red embarks on a dangerous quest for vengeance. Cage delivers a powerful performance as Red, capturing the character’s grief and anger in this dark tale of revenge.
1. Face/Off (1997)
- Streaming On: Amazon Video [On Rent], Apple TV (US)
- RT Score: 93%
- Director: John Woo
Plot: Face/Off is a high-octane action thriller starring Cage as terrorist Castor Troy and John Travolta as FBI agent Sean Archer. The film revolves around an experimental medical procedure that allows Archer to undergo face transplantation, assuming Troy’s identity to infiltrate his criminal organization. However, the plan takes an unexpected turn when Troy awakens from a coma and undergoes the same procedure, assuming Archer’s identity in return, leading to a thrilling dynamic between the two.
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