Even after his recent career resurgence, prolific over-acting master Nicolas Cage is not slowing down. Following three leading roles in 2021 (including the excellent Pig) and the meta sensation The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent from last year, Cage has five central appearances scheduled for 2023. His newest, Sympathy for the Devil, scored a limited release before going to video-on-demand. Find out below if this one is worth your money.
Wild Nic Cage is Back
Sympathy for the Devil‘s appeal rests heavily on the back of leading man Nicolas Cage, who also produces this clear star vehicle for the nearly 60-year-old actor. In the film, Cage’s red-haired villain jumps into the backseat of the main character’s car, ordering him at gunpoint to drive to an undisclosed location outside of Las Vegas. Over the movie’s 90 minutes, co-star Joel Kinnaman experiences the sadism and brutality of a man with nothing to lose.
Think that sounds like a thin starting point for a plot? You are not wrong. However, the audience for Cage’s exaggerated style is not necessarily looking for a traditionally good movie; frequently, the lack of quality is sought after by his diehard fans. Films like The Wicker Man, Between Worlds, and Willy’s Wonderland demonstrated Cage’s meme-worthy role choices and performances while being objectively terrible, and Sympathy for the Devil joins that caliber perfectly.
“SIT THE F*** DOWN!”
Those viewers looking for a ridiculous Nic Cage performance might not be disappointed but should know going in that he is the only thing that gives Sympathy for the Devil any redemption. Though only 90 minutes, the endless driving through the desert with long stretches of nothing happening is straining for even the most patient viewer. Cage’s wild line delivery remains at its peak form, yet the script here is so appallingly tedious that the film comes across as bland as his recent phone-it-in western film, The Old Way.
VENICE, ITALY – AUGUST 30: Actor Nicolas Cage attends ‘Joe’ Premiere during The 70th Venice Film Festival on August 30, 2013 in Venice, Italy
Without any spark or originality, the dialogue in Sympathy for the Devil pitifully diminishes Cage’s performance, rendering his monologues into a yawn-inducing trudge rather than a tension-building slow burn. His character’s insanity is mostly laugh-worthy instead (those initiated into the Cage cult know this can be part of the appeal), but this is mostly amid gaps of trite filler that refuses to engage or connect interestingly.
Should you watch Sympathy for the Devil?
Aimless, unsatisfying, and built by cliché upon cliché, this Nicolas Cage movie is right near the bottom of the pack. Despite somewhat positive reviews praising mostly Cage’s performance, Sympathy for the Devil is free of any thrilling aspect apart from the occasional sudden jolt of mania. As the title’s sentiment comes haphazardly into effect, most viewers will wish for the movie to end long ago. Cage’s masochistic obsessives are certainly not like the average viewer, but even they are advised to find a Sympathy for the Devil highlight reel on YouTube instead.
Sympathy for the Devil is available to rent now.