Nicolas Cage’s acting career has been interesting, to say the least. The Ghost Rider star jumped from genre to genre in roles that have nominated and won him awards ranging from Oscars to Golden Raspberries — his recent performance in Renfield being one of the former.

In honour of veteran actor’s impressive range, here is a list of the top 10 best Nicolas Cage movies of all time!

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1) Con Air (1997)

Inspired by the real-life events surrounding America’s prisoner transport planes, Con Air perfectly pairs romance and action. In preparation for his role as wrongly convicted Army Ranger Cameron Poe, Cage visited inmates to learn about their stories and struggles. Though this was not free of charge, the inmates, in turn, asked Cage for advice on entering the Hollywood business.

Cage was able to take what he had learned and convince audiences of the heart-wrenching longing that his character experiences when he finally returns to his family. Audiences could feel Cameron Poe’s excitement when he was paroled, and the panic when other criminals hijacked the prisoner transport plane he was on. Cage’s captivating performance led everyone to ask: Will Cameron wrest control and return to his family?

Con Air is available for streaming on Disney+.

2) National Treasure (2004)

Think Indiana Jones, but with United States history and no cool hat. Cage plays Benjamin Gate in the movie, where he gets to emulate his own passion for acting through the latter’s non-pretentious enthusiasm for American mythology.

This family adventure movie sees Benjamin going on a long treasure hunt to find a war chest hidden by the Founding Fathers — taking him from the United States to the Arctic and back. Unfortunately, betrayal seems to be hiding everywhere as everyone wants the treasure from themselves, from his accomplice Ian (Sean Bean) to the FBI. So Benjamin will steal the Declaration of Independence…for good?

National Treasure is available for streaming on Disney+.

3) Face/Off (1997)

Cage takes on the role of deranged domestic terrorist Castor Troy and evolves it to him pretending to be John Travolta’s FBI Special Agent Sean Archer, who is pretending to be Castor Troy. This may sound like an extreme and confusing situation, but luckily it is exactly where Cage likes to place himself.

Many people would go to extraordinary lengths to avenge the death of their child, but how many would go to the extent of transplanting the killer’s face onto their own? That is precisely what Sean does to foil a terrorist plot, but trouble brews when Castor wakes up and decides that Sean’s discarded face is a perfect replacement for the one he lost.

Face/Off is available for streaming on Disney+. 

4) The Rock (1996)

Cage is once again involved in a domestic terrorist plot, but this time he’s on the side of the on good guys.

The Rock is utter movie gold with the coupling of Michael Bay’s (Transformers, Bad Boys) ‘Bayhem’ and Cage’s eccentrics. It was also the movie that made Cage an extremely interesting action star.

The Rock follows Dr. Stanley Goodspeed (Cage), a mild-mannered chemist who must join hands with ex-con John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery) to break into Alcatraz. Yes, you heard that right. To save San Francisco from being attacked by VX gas warheads launched by a renegade general (Ed Harris), the unlikely duo must work together to enter where John once escaped.

The Rock is available for streaming on Disney+. 

5) Ghost Rider (2007)

This movie might not have wowed critics, earning Cage his second Golden Raspberry nomination and the sequel earning him his fourth, but it is still one that many hold close to their hearts.

Johnny Blaze might have originated from Marvel, but the character had way more similarities with Cage following the actor’s creative suggestions, from eating jelly beans out of a martini glass to Johnny’s sudden love for Karen Carpenter. Cage’s portrayal of Johnny’s initial descent into madness as he transforms into the Devil’s Ghost Rider — played by Peter Fonda — to hunt down rogue demons is worthy of a standing ovation.

Ghost Rider is available for streaming on Disney+. 

6) Kick-Ass (2010)

If any superhero movie had Cage’s name on it, Kick-Ass would be the one. This R-rated wacky mayhem welcomes Cage’s over-the-top performance style with open arms.

While the actor might not be fronting the show, he stood out with his supporting role of Big Daddy — a Batman-like vigilante who trains his daughter (Chloë Grace Moretz), Hit Girl, to violently stand against crime. Enter Dave Lizewski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who dubs himself the hero Kick-Ass, and will join forces with the father-daughter duo to dismantle the underworld empire of mob boss Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong).

Kick-Ass is available for rent on Prime Video for S$5.27. 

7) The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)

Cage tackles his most out-of-this-world character portrayal in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent: himself, or well, a variant version at least.

Drowning in debt, Nicolas Cage has no choice but to attend the birthday party of super-fan Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal) for the S$1.32 million paycheck. However, things take a turn when Cage is recruited by a CIA operative Vivian (Tiffany Haddish), and forced to live up to his legend, channelling his most iconic and beloved on-screen characters in order to save himself and his loved ones.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is available for streaming on Prime Video. 

8) Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

We talked about movies that landed Cage a Golden Raspberry nomination, so let’s move on to the film that won him an Oscar. Fun fact: Cage was never paid the S$132,000 promised for his work in Leaving Las Vegas.

Cage portrays Ben Sanderson, a Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything due to his alcoholism. His plan to move to Las Vegas and drink himself to death gets derailed by just a smidge as he meets Sera (Elisabeth Shue), a prostitute who he forms a non-interference pact with. The connection between the two turns into love, but will it be enough to stop Ben from ending it all?

Leaving Las Vegas is available for rent on Prime Video for S$5.27. 

9) Pig (2021)

Pig gives audiences a break from Cage’s usual over-the-top acting style and a rare taste of the actor’s more solemn range.

This American drama film follows Portland-based chef turned recluse truffle hunter Robb (Nicolas Cage) as he goes on a journey to rescue his kidnapped truffle-hunting pig. The premise seems simple enough, but it is Cage’s silent intensity that transforms the film into a captivating character study and its exploration of the concept of grief. 

Pig is available on Apple TV for S$7.90.

10) Moonstruck (1987)

Cage made a splash at just 22 years of age, starring alongside Cher (Zookeeper, Mask) in this Oscar-nominated box office hit.

Moonstruck is a romantic comedy that follows widowed Loretta (Cher), who believes her love life is cursed and plans to settle down with Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello), a secure and good man. However, this rather safe decision turns into a dilemma when she is introduced to Ronny (Nicolas Cage), Johnny’s passionate and jealous brother. The movie takes on an operatic tone with its soundtrack, one that Cage takes full use of with the actor almost singing for the camera; the allure drawing the audience to understand Loretta’s dilemma.

Moonstruck is available on Apple TV for S$6.58.