Nicolas Cage is one of the most dynamic actors in the business, and there are some key movies that have shaped his career thus far. Cage is known for his bold performances that are sometimes considered brilliant and sometimes considered laughable. However, he has also proven himself to be an actor that you should never underestimate.

Cage’s career has gone through many different phases that keep his fans guessing and have led to some true classics. Cage’s action movie star phase could intertwine with his prestige dramas phase. As Cage’s career changes again with his upcoming TV role in Spider-Man Noir, these movies give a sense of his strange yet fascinating career path.

8

Raising Arizona (1987)

As H.I. McDunnough

Nicolas Cage was already building a strong career for himself when he collaborated with the Coen Brothers on their second movie. Raising Arizona is a crime comedy starring Cage as a kind yet reckless criminal who, along with his wife (Holly Hunter), takes a baby from a family of quintuplets when they can’t have their own.

Cage and the Coens feel like a perfect match, as the filmmakers also seem motivated by switching things up with their movies. Following the grim noir of Blood Simple, Raising Arizona feels like a cartoon come to life in the best way possible. Cage is hilarious and oddly charming in the cartoonish protagonist role.

The movie helped establish Cage as a leading man, while also suggesting that he might not fit the typical archetype. His unconventional performance is a highlight in the movie and a sign that his big swings can really work.

7

Moonstruck (1987)

As Ronny Cammareri

As his career was gradually building, Nicolas Cage found his true breakthrough role in the rom-com Moonstruck. Cher won an Oscar for her performance as Loretta, a fiery woman who, after agreeing to marry her boyfriend, finds herself falling for his tormented brother, Ronny (Nicolas Cage).

The quirky rom-com was a hit with critics and audiences. It was a wonderful mix of a genuinely touching romance as well as a cast of colorful characters that added so much humor to the movie. Cage himself was praised for his performance, earning a Golden Globe nomination.

At that point in his career, there were not many people who would have imagined that Cage would be a romantic lead in a movie like this. Moonstruck helped show Hollywood that he was an actor who defied typecasting and could deliver a terrific performance in the most unexpected of projects.

6

Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

As Ben Sanderson

Nicolas Cage earned the first true awards attention for his performance in Moonstruck, but Leaving Las Vegas brought him virtually universal acclaim. The harrowing drama stars Cage as a writer who lost everything due to his alcoholism and decides to take a trip to Las Vegas to drink himself to death.

Cage gives a powerful and raw performance in the lead role, allowing it to feel grounded by a painfully real torment within the character. Despite his acclaim up until that point, Leaving Las Vegas announced him as a mᴀssive acting talent and earned him an Oscar.

It is a tough story to endure, and the 90s movie ends in a dark place, but Cage’s performance is still extraordinary even after all these years. It was a glimpse of the kind of performance that Cage was capable of, which is something that people would forget at certain points in his career.

5

The Rock (1996)

As Stanley Goodspeed

Following his Oscar win for Leaving Las Vegas, some might have expected that Nicolas Cage would continue on with one prestige drama after another. Instead, he quite unexpectedly became one of the biggest action movie stars of the 1990s. What’s more, The Rock sees Cage starring alongside Sean Connery, making for an unusual but effective action movie duo.

The movie stars Cage as a biochemist who teams with an old escaped convict to break into Alcatraz, where a group of mercenaries have a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly biological weapon. Cage and Connery fit into the bombastic action movie world of director Michael Bay, making for an entertaining and fast-paced ride.

Though Cage gives a funny performance that is filled with eccentricities, the role helped kick off his era as an action movie star, which helped to provide some of the biggest hits of his career.

4

Face/Off (1997)

As Castor Troy / Sean Archer

Nicolas Cage’s action movie credentials were established with The Rock and Con Air, leading him to team with another acclaimed actor who turned to action movies in the mid-1990s. Face/Off stars John Travolta as an FBI agent and Cage as a dangerous terrorist, only for the hero and villain to swap faces and ᴀssume the other’s idenтιтy.

Much has been made about Face/Off‘s silly premise over the years, but it is a terrific ride if you can buy into that. Action movie master John Woo brings his stylish approach to the thrilling action sequences, making for a non-stop thrill ride.

Along with the action, the highlight of the movie is seeing Cage and Travolta basically playing each other, to great effect. Cage, in particular, gives an over-the-top performance that is a reminder that, even in these big blockbuster roles, he is willing to go all out.

3

National Treasure (2004)

As Benjamin Franklin Gates

Despite having a number of big hits, it wasn’t until 2004 that Nicolas Cage started his first movie franchise. National Treasure stars Cage as a noble treasure hunter looking for valuable artifacts hidden throughout American history, leading to his discovery of a map hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence.

The movie offered a fun adventure that had more of a family-friendly vibe than his action movies typically did. It was also a mᴀssive blockbuster hit, launching a franchise that led to Cage’s first sequel in 2007, as well as continued interest for Cage returning for a third National Treasure.

With the financial success and Cage’s more reserved performance, he was starting to move away from the persona of the eccentric and unpredictable actor and started to embrace being a movie star.

2

The Wicker Man (2006)

As Edward Malus

Just as Nicolas Cage’s financial success as an actor was being established, he was also planting the seeds for a downturn in his career. The Wicker Man was a remake of the classic cult horror movie of the 1970s, with Cage starring as a police officer who travels to a remote commune to investigate the disappearance of a young girl.

The movie was a critical misfire, earning 15% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, more than that, it became a punchline with Cage’s performance at the center of it all. The movie was seen as unintentionally funny, while Cage’s performance became a fascination on the internet, inspiring memes and edits before that was even popular.

The failure of the movie ignited a conversation questioning Cage’s acting talents. Regardless of how fair this was, it led to a period of Cage getting fewer high-profile roles than he was used to.

1

Pig (2021)

As Rob Feld

There was a time when Nicolas Cage seemed to be relegated to direct-to-video movies that weren’t always the best use of his talents. However, as occasional performances in movies like Joe and Mandy shone through, it seemed that everyone was reminded of his immense talents with the unconventional thriller Pig.

Cage stars as a former renowned chef who is living in isolation until he has to return to the life he left behind when his beloved truffle pig is taken. Pig sets itself up as a John Wick-style movie. However, instead of being a wild shoot-em-up action movie, Pig is a story about pᴀssion and grief.

Cage gives a reserved performance that is also one of his best. He is heartbreaking and nuanced despite the eccentric nature of the character. It was a surprise gem that continues to find new fans and has helped bring Cage back as a prolific and engaging actor.