Nicolas Cage’s current renaissance might be his best run yet
Like any actor with a career spanning decades, there have been several eras of Nicolas Cage. They cover the highest of highs and the lowest of lows that can define the life and times of a professional thespian.
He emerged in the 1980s as independent cinema’s eccentric darling, before segueing effortlessly into the sort of powerhouse dramatic performances that earned him an Academy Award for ‘Best Actor’. Having conquered drama, Cage then decided to become an action hero, which he pulled off with aplomb by headlining The Rock, Con Air, and Face/Off in little over a year.
Settling into his groove as an A-lister who alternated between escapist blockbusters and intimate character pieces, his financial difficulties plunged him into the bowels of straight-to-video mediocrity. He got out of it eventually after lending his name to dozens upon dozens of interminable offerings, but he’s emerged on the other side to embark upon what’s potentially the greatest period yet.
While there’s still the occasional whiff of shite around some of his output, since 2018 Cage has been knocking it out of the park in the projects that really matter. Eliminating all of the gun-toting dreck that’s been dogging him for years and focusing exclusively on the meatiest parts he’s been sinking his teeth into, he’s been offering constant reminders that on his day he’s one of the very best in the business.
The genesis point appears to be Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy, which was the first top-tier turn he’d given in a long time. The phantasmagorical mindfuck indulged his excesses but allowed him to display his range in the smaller moments, and a lightbulb must have gone off because he’s been mixing it up to an impressive degree ever since.
Lovecraftian nightmare Colour Out of Space, the batshit dystopia of Prisoners of the Ghostland featuring cinema’s best-ever delivery of the word “testicles,” the gonzo silence of Willy’s Wonderland, the introspective and thoughtful ruminations of Pig, the self-aware embracement and deconstruction of his own persona in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, a scenery-chewing turn as Renfield‘s Dracula, the fantastical black comedy and bald cap of Dream Scenario, and the unrecognisable dread of his serial killer in Longlegs have all hit cinemas – or digital – within the last six years.
Whereas before, it was a solid bet Cage wouldn’t go to two movies without taking on an action-heavy part in an inexpensive thriller nobody watched, there’s a genuine sense of renewed excitement over what comes next. None of those performances or characters have even a single thing in common, other than the actor firing on all cylinders and showcasing the depth, breadth, and scope of his very singular talent.
None of those protagonists and/or antagonists could have been played by anyone else, which can’t be said about a lot of Cage’s films since the turn of the millennium. It feels like he’s rediscovered his spark after spending so long in the wilderness doing as much work as possible to keep the taxman at bay, which comes with the unfortunate caveat that he may be planning to wind down.
Cage has claimed he’s only got a handful of leading roles left before he abandons film acting altogether, and if he carries on at this rate, he’ll be bowing out with his best run ever.
