Out of all the over-the-top and outrageous actors in Hollywood, no performer has a reputation for playing unhinged characters quite like Nicolas Cage. With a firm commitment to every role he has ever played, the most exciting thing about Cage was that he’s never phoned it in, even for movies that most people felt left a lot to be desired. Watching a Cage film was never a waste of time, as although they can vary in quality, his over-the-top characterizations and intense portrayal make for compelling viewing.
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Some of the very best Nicolas Cage movies featured him playing totally unhinged characters as he excelled in action, comedy, drama, and horror movies. As an Oscar-winning performer, Cage’s unique style made him stand apart from the typical Hollywood leading man and inject a level of energy and intensity that’s often missing from other performers’ work. Cage has remained a true eccentric in Hollywood, and his choices have led to some genuinely iconic performances throughout his long and varied career.
You are watching: 10 Nicolas Cage Movies Where The Actor Plays A Fully Unhinged Character
10 Kick-Ass (2010)
Nicolas Cage as Damon Macready / Big Daddy
Nicolas Cage has always had a fondness for superheroes, which can even be seen when he changed his name from Coppola early in his career and named himself after the Marvel hero Luke Cage. This later extended to his role in the Ghostrider movies and being cast as Superman in an unfortunately canceled Tim Burton movie. However, in Kick-Ass, Cage got to live out his most unhinged superhero fantasies, as his character is rooted in the real world, making his violent nature feel all the more shocking.
Cage played Damon Macready, the former police officer turned crime-fighting vigilante Big Daddy in Kick-Ass. As the first legitimate superhero in the Kick-Ass universe, Macready’s willingness to don a suit of armor and take on the city’s crime made him a truly unpredictable character who became even more deranged as he trained his eleven-year-old daughter to become the ruthless hero Hit-Girl. The Kick-Ass movies highlighted the absurdity of people genuinely trying to become superheroes, and Cage’s intense and unhinged persona fit in perfectly with this realistic comic book world.
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When average teen Dave Lizewski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is mugged, he decides to take matters into his own hands and becomes the vigilante Kick-Ass. Armed with little more than a can-do attitude and nerve damage that makes him resistant to pain, the adolescent hero stumbles into a serious criminal organization. Teaming up with Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) and Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage), Kick-Ass works to take them down, despite the fact that he’s in over his head.
Director Matthew Vaughn Release Date March 22, 2010 Studio(s) Lionsgate Distributor(s) Lionsgate Writers Jane Goldman , Matthew Vaughn , Mark Millar , John Romita Jr. Cast Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Chloe Moretz , Nicolas Cage , Christopher Mintz-Plasse , Clark Duke , Evan Peters Runtime 117 minutes Franchise(s) Kick-Ass Sequel(s) Kick-Ass 2 Budget $30 million Main Genre Action Expand
9 Army of One (2016)
Nicolas Cage as Gary Brooks Faulkner
There have been many instances of Nicolas Cage playing a real person, as acclaimed performances such as screenwriter Charlie Kaufman in Adaptation or the hitman Vincent Dwyer in The Cotton Club proved. However, Cage’s portrayal of Gary Brooks Faulkner in Army of One was truly one of his wildest and had to be seen to be believed. Army of One starred Cage as the real-life unemployed handyman who believed he was on a mission from God to capture Osama bin Laden and actually went to Pakistan to complete this task.
An outrageous adventure through the badlands of Pakistan with the single-minded purpose of taking out bin Laden once and for all.
Army of One saw Cage experiencing visions of God (Russell Brand) and going on an outrageous adventure through the badlands of Pakistan with the single-minded purpose of taking out bin Laden once and for all. Cage’s unique performance highlighted Faulkner’s personal struggles, and although his portrayal was totally unhinged, he also captured the reality at the heart of his character. As an intense exploration of belief, faith, and finding one’s purpose, Army of One was an interesting and outrageous viewing experience.
8 Pig (2021)
Nicolas Cage as Rob Feld
Only one actor could play a man tirelessly searching for his lost Pig with the emotional conviction needed to make it a genuinely spellbinding experience. As Rob Feld, a reclusive and once-renowned truffle forager, Nicolas Cage gave a truly unpredictable performance that brought viewers on a journey of love and loss as he tried to reclaim his prized pig from thoughtless thieves. With slow-building tension and a dark backstory, it quickly became apparent that Feld was the last person these poachers should have messed with.
Although Pig followed much of the same structure as a film like John Wick, where the deathly assassin sought after the death of his dog, Cage’s role was quieter, more reserved, and all the more melancholic because of it. This meant that when Feld exploded in bursts of unhinged intensity, it became all the more effective. Pig was an engulfing film that wouldn’t have worked with any other actor at the helm.
Pig 1
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Starring Nicolas Cage, Pig centers on a truffle hunter in Oregon who returns to his former home in Portland to track down his beloved pig that was stolen from him. The drama mystery was directed by Michael Sarnoski, who would go on to direct the Quiet Place spinoff titled A Quiet Place: Day One.
Director Michael Sarnoski Release Date July 16, 2021 Writers Michael Sarnoski Cast Nicolas Cage , Julia Bray , Alex Wolff , Gretchen Corbett , Elijah Ungvary , Nina Belforte , Darius Pierce , Adam Arkin Runtime 92 minutes Budget $3 million Expand
7 The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
Nicolas Cage as Nick Cage
One of the most unhinged characters ever played by Nicolas Cage was actually himself, as seen in the satirical action movie The Unbearable Wight of Massive Talent. With Cage as a struggling Hollywood actor with a strained relationship with his ex-wife and daughter, this self-aware role leaned heavily into the actor’s unhinged persona. Cage’s character not only acted typically unhinged throughout but was even plagued and tormented by an imaginative vision of his former self called Nicky Cage, modeled after his time promoting David Lynch’s 1990 movie Wild at Heart.
As Cage made his way through this meta-contextual adventure that saw him caught between a billionaire superfan and the CIA, despite the over-the-top nature of its story, the most unhinged thing about The Unbearable Wright of Massive Talent was himself. With a simultaneous love for The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Paddington 2, Cage’s characterization represented how he has seamlessly traversed intense artistry with mainstream appeal throughout his career. As a wild look behind the curtain of Cage’s understanding of his unhinged reputation, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent was a true treat for lovers of Cage’s work.
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The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent 3
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The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent tells the story of a fictionalized version of actor Nicolas Cage when he unwittingly becomes entangled with a criminal cartel. On the brink of bankruptcy, Cage (played by himself) is made an offer he can’t refuse: $1 million to appear at the birthday party of a wealthy fan named Javi (Pedro Pascal). However, Cage’s trip puts him in the middle of a CIA investigation into Javi, and he finds himself caught between his new friend and a whole host of very dangerous people.
Director Tom Gormican Release Date April 22, 2022 Studio(s) Lionsgate Distributor(s) Lionsgate Writers Kevin Etten , Tom Gormican Cast Jacob Scipio , Pedro Pascal , with Neil Patrick Harris , Ike Barinholtz , Tiffany Haddish , Lily Sheen , Nicolas Cage , Alessandra Mastronardi , Neil Patrick Harris , Sharon Horgan Runtime 107 minutes Budget 30 million Expand
6 Longlegs (2024)
Nicolas Cage as Longlegs
Custom Image by Dhruv Sharma.
The marketing for Longlegs repeated tactics from The Blair Witch Project to effectively raise excitement for what was being built up as the most unhinged and transformative role of Nicolas Cage’s career. While the horror-thriller Longlegs slightly fell short of this, it did feature an intensely creepy performance from Cage, who was donned with makeup and was almost unrecognizable as the elusive serial killer Longlegs. With slow-building tension, much of Longleg’s creepy characteristics were unseen as the film took its time revealing the true nature of his character.
With plenty of similarities to the horror classic The Silence of the Lambs, Cage gave audiences his own take on a killer as deranged and depraved as Hannibal Lecter in Longlegs. As a thriller mix of crime, the occult, and Satanic cults, Longlegs gave Cage the freedom to let loose and deliver a performance likely to keep plenty of viewers up at night. While Cage’s role as Longlegs wasn’t quite as unimaginably extreme as the marketing for the film had suggested, it still proved why he’s considered one of Hollywood’s wildest and most unique actors.
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Longlegs is a horror thriller film by writer-director Osgood Perkins. When FBI agent Lee Harker is assigned to a serial killer cold case, their investigation leads them down a rabbit hole riddled with disturbing discoveries and the occult at the center of it all. When the trail of evidence reveals a personal connection, it becomes a race against time to prevent another murder.
Director Oz Perkins Release Date July 12, 2024 Studio(s) C2 Motion Picture Group , Saturn Films Distributor(s) Neon Writers Oz Perkins Cast Maika Monroe , Nicholas Cage , Blair Underwood , Alicia Witt , Michelle Choi-Lee , Dakota Daulby , Lauren Acala , Kiernan Shipka Runtime 101 Minutes Main Genre Horror Expand
5 Mom And Dad (2017)
Nicolas Cage as Brent Ryan
Nicolas Cage has always thrived on portraying the darkness hidden just below the surface of polite suburban society. This was certainly the case in Mom and Dad, a black comedy horror that saw parents caught up in a moment of mass hysteria that saw them attempting to murder their own children. With Cage as the Dad and Selma Blair as the Mom, this wickedly dark story allowed Cage to truly let loose as he hunted down his own flesh and blood and let out years of buried mild-mannered middle-class aggression.
While
Mom & Dad
sadly bombed at the box office, it’s well worth revisiting to witness some pure, unadulterated Cage-centric carnage.
For those unfamiliar with Nicolas Cage’s lunacy, Mom and Dad may be a good movie to start with, as it perfectly exemplifies all that was unhinged and enthralling about the actor. As both a social commentary and a throwback to horror movies of the past, Mom and Dad was a thrilling descent into pure insanity that continually upped the stakes throughout its runtime. While Mom & Dad sadly bombed at the box office, it’s well worth revisiting to witness some pure, unadulterated Cage-centric carnage.
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Mom and Dad is a 2018 horror-comedy film directed by Brian Taylor. The story centers on a teenage girl and her younger brother who must survive 24 hours when a mass hysteria of unknown origin causes parents to violently turn against their own children. Starring Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair, the film explores themes of parental pressure and generational tensions.
Director Brian Taylor Release Date January 19, 2018 Writers Brian Taylor Cast Nicolas Cage , Lance Henriksen , Anne Winters , Selma Blair , Zackary Arthur Runtime 86 minutes Budget $7 million Expand
4 Face/Off (1997)
Nicolas Cage as Castor Troy/Sean Archer
Not much needs to be said about Face/Off to justify its place among Nicolas Cage’s most unhinged movies, as this was the film in which he literally swapped faces with John Travolta. This outrageous action movie really needs to be seen to be believed, as its over-the-top concept of shifting identities was a bizarre and enthralling viewing experience. In Face/Off, Cage played both an FBI agent and a terrorist who underwent experimental surgery to look identical to the other person.
The unique nature of Face/Off meant that Cage got to play both the hero and villain of the story as he and Travolta engaged in an intense game of cat-and-mouse with one another. From director John Woo, this was a piece of pure 1990s action entertainment that perfectly encapsulated Cage’s transition from an Oscar-winning actor into a major action movie superstar. Face/Off’s concept was so ridiculous and over-the-top that it truly went full circle and became a work of genius.
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John Travolta and Nicolas Cage star in Face/Off as Sean Archer and Castor Troy, an FBI agent and a terrorist who undergo a face transplant surgery to assume each other’s identities. The 1997 action thriller is directed by famous Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo.
Director John Woo Release Date June 27, 1997 Studio(s) Paramount Pictures Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures , Disney Writers Michael Colleary , Mike Werb Cast Alessandro Nivola , Gina Gershon , Nicolas Cage , John Travolta , Joan Allen Runtime 138 minutes Budget $80 million Expand
3 Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Nicolas Cage as Ben Sanderson
Perhaps the most impressive thing about the massive amount of unhinged characters that Nicolas Cage has played was the variety of their characterization. While many were over-the-top action stars, for others, like Ben Sanderson in Leaving Las Vegas, their outrageousness was linked to how raw and heartbreaking their struggles were. As a deeply troubled character who was determined to drink himself to death in Las Vegas, Cage took home the Oscar for Best Actor for his committed role in Leaving Las Vegas.
This harrowing story explored an alcoholic who was at true rock bottom and determined to load himself up with liquor until he finally met his untimely end. In this disturbing state, Sanderson met a prostitute played by Elisabeth Shue, and together, the two fractured people managed to find some semblance of comfort with one another amid a broken world. Leaving Las Vegas was an emotionally devastating story, and although it featured Cage in one of his most unhinged roles, it was also a testament to his incredible acting abilities and powerful screen presence.
2 Mandy (2018)
Nicolas Cage as Red Miller
Although Nicolas Cage has always had a reputation for pushing his performances into brave new territory, it was in Mandy that he took things further than ever before. Mandy was a psychedelic horror film that featured Cage as the lumberjack Red Miller, whose secluded forest life was brutally shattered after a deranged hippie cult murdered his girlfriend. With nothing left to lose, Cage’s character spiraled out of control and embarked on a ruthless mission of vengeance against his lover’s assailants.
With plenty of bizarre and over-the-top violence and an outpouring of devastation and emotion from Cage, Mandy’s thrilling revenge story turned nightmarish as it devolved into total carnage. As a surreal and often uncomfortable viewing experience, Mandy was not for the faint of heart and was a twisted depiction of Cage’s most deranged characteristics. While some viewers will be turned off by just how intense this film was, others will appreciate Mandy as a beautifully shot, impressively creative, and downright unhinged showcase of Nicolas Cage’s unique screen presence.
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2018’s Mandy is a Horror and Action film starring Nicholas Cage. Written and directed by Panos Cosmatos, Cage plays a recovering alcoholic that lives a solitary life with his girlfriend who ends up kidnapped by a mysterious cult. The remainder of the film sees Cage embarking on a bloody quest for revenge.
Director Panos Cosmatos Release Date September 14, 2018 Writers Aaron Stewart-Ahn , Panos Cosmatos Cast Andrea Riseborough , Bill Duke , Linus Roache , Nicolas Cage , Richard Brake Runtime 121 Minutes Budget $6million Main Genre Horror Expand
1 Vampire’s Kiss (1989)
Nicolas Cage as Peter Loew
Vampire’s Kiss was a truly unique movie that might just feature Nicolas Cage’s scariest performance as the eccentric literary agent and narcissistic yuppie Peter Loew. This unforgettable performance highlighted Cage as an actor making choices that nobody else in Hollywood would even consider, as his performance was rooted far more in the traditions of German Expressionism than in traditional Hollywood-style acting. As the movie that launched a million Nicolas Cage memes, Vampire’s Kiss showcased the actor at his most unhinged and unpredictable.
With a story following Cage’s character believing himself to be a vampire, Vampire’s Kiss quickly spiraled into utter madness as he became increasingly unstable and a danger to those around him. As much a catalog of workplace abuse as it was a supernatural story, Cage’s performance in Vampire’s Kiss felt unhinged because the only transformation happening was inside his troubled character’s mind. Vampire’s Kiss was a shocking depiction of dwindling sanity and stood as Cage’s most unhinged role thus far.
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Nicolas Cage stars in this dark comedy as a literary agent who believes he is turning into a vampire after an encounter with a mysterious woman, leading to increasingly bizarre behavior.
Director Robert Bierman Release Date June 2, 1989 Writers Joseph Minion Cast Nicolas Cage , MarÃa Conchita Alonso , Jennifer Beals , Kasi Lemmons , Bob Lujan , Elizabeth Ashley , Jessica Lundy , Marc Coppola Runtime 103 Minutes Main Genre Comedy Expand
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Category: Entertainment