NICOLAS CAGE: His 10 Best Performances
- Nick Digilio
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
In honor of the release of Nicolas Cage’s new film The Surfer — which, let’s be honest, is terrible (and he's not great in it either) — I thought now would be the perfect time to shine a light on the good stuff.
Because despite what his current filmography might suggest, there is good stuff. In fact, there's great stuff. So, I decided to go back and rank what I believe are Nicolas Cage’s 10 best performances of all time.
Now let’s be clear: this is not an easy task. According to IMDb, Nicolas Cage has appeared in over 126 films — and that’s not even including the five more that are already on the way. This guy works. A lot.
And if you just take the stretch from 2010 to today, we’re talking at least 38 films that most people don’t remember — because, frankly, they’re not memorable.
Direct-to-video titles, paycheck gigs, and low-effort scream-fests that blur together in a soup of maniacal performances, crazy wigs, and inexplicable choices. You’ve probably seen a few. You’ve probably forgotten them too.
Between the screaming, the eye-bugging, the unhinged line deliveries, and the permanent look of constipated rage, Cage has practically created a subgenre of his own. There are fan clubs devoted entirely to the "Cage Rage" version of Nicolas Cage.
I’m not in those fan clubs. I find that side of him often exhausting — tiresome, overdone, and frankly just as empty and fake as a bad performance from anyone else. But somehow Cage gets a pass for being a cartoon, because people love watching him lose his mind.
Why does he do it? Well, the man’s had multiple divorces, serious debts, blown millions on haunted mansions, exotic animals, dinosaur bones, and a collection of properties that would make Scrooge McDuck blush.
So yeah — sometimes you say yes to Bangkok Dangerous just to keep the lights on. But let’s not forget: Cage is a seriously talented actor when he wants to be. He’s a Coppola, part of Hollywood royalty, and when he’s on… he’s on. He did win an Oscar for his terrific performance in Leaving Las Vegas as well.
Of course, the bad outweighs the good. It has to when your résumé includes Deadfall, Trapped in Paradise, The Wicker Man (NOT the bees!!), Next, Drive Angry in 3D, Season of the Witch, Seeking Justice, and Trespass... just to name a few.
Sure, there are hits (The Rock, Con Air, National Treasure) and a few surprisingly solid performances along the way (The Weather Man, Knowing, Face/Off if you're in the mood). But what I want to do here is cut through the noise and focus on the performances where Cage really showed what he's capable of.
Before I get to the ranked list of my ten favorite Cage performances, I do want to give a shoutout to a handful of excellent performances that didn’t quite make the cut — but are still damn good.
I think he’s great in Peggy Sue Got Married — a weird, Jerry Lewis–inspired performance that caught flak, but I think it’s brilliant. He’s hilarious in the Coens’ Raising Arizona, which is still one of the best comedies of the '80s. Kiss of Death? Great. City of Angels? I love that one — he’s soulful and mysterious. And Lord of War is a fantastic satire with one of his most layered performances. Oh, and last year’s Dream Scenario? Beautiful. Funny, sad, smart. A late-career gem.
So yes, the guy has made mountains of garbage. But buried in that landfill are real diamonds. This list is about those diamonds. These are, in my opinion, the ten best performances Nicolas Cage has ever given.
They cover different genres, different decades, different levels of “Cage-ness” — from the subtle to the surreal. But each one showcases just how good Nicolas Cage can be when he locks in and brings his full chaotic magic to the screen.
So here it is: my 10 favorite Nicolas Cage performances, ranked in order of preference. Let’s celebrate the Cage that works.
TOP 10 BEST NICOLAS CAGE PERFORMANCES (in order of preference):
This is my favorite Nicolas Cage performance of all time. And yes, it's a prime example of crazy-ass Nicolas Cage. One of the first instances of what would become his signature brand of unhinged, wild-eyed performances, this still stands as a sharp satire of '80s yuppie-ism in New York City.
Cage plays a literary agent who spirals into madness after a one-night stand with a woman (Jennifer Beals) who may or may not be a vampire. He becomes convinced that he, too, is now a vampire. What follows is an absolute scorched-earth descent into lunacy, complete with verbal abuse, bugged-out eyes, exaggerated gesticulations, and one of the greatest on-screen meltdowns of all time.
It's also genuinely funny. Cage's accent, mannerisms, the scene where he rants about alphabetizing—all of it is scorched-earth comedic acting that borders on performance art. It is an astonishing, fearless performance that only someone like Nicolas Cage could pull off. This is the movie that defined "crazy Cage," and no matter how many times he’s gone down that road since, he’s never topped this one. It’s a brutally funny, disturbing, and unforgettable performance.
This film, written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Spike Jonze, is one of the smartest and most inventive movies of the 2000s, and Cage meets its eccentricity head-on. Playing both Charlie Kaufman and his fictional twin brother Donald, Cage delivers two of his most nuanced, hilarious, and emotionally raw performances ever. His portrayal of Charlie is all self-loathing, anxiety, and painful introspection, while Donald is affable, confident, and oblivious.
It’s a brilliant dual performance that manages to be both subtle and showy. He captures the tortured creative process with brutal honesty, and his chemistry with co-stars Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper (who won an Oscar for his role) is electric. This is Nicolas Cage firing on all cylinders in a movie that gives him the space to show off every facet of his talent—from neurotic introspection to comedic timing.
David Gordon Green directed this gritty drama, and it’s one of Cage’s most grounded and heartfelt performances. He plays Joe, a grizzled ex-con who becomes a father figure to a troubled 15-year-old boy (Tye Sheridan). Set against a backdrop of rural poverty and violence, the film deals with themes of redemption and personal demons, and Cage’s performance is central to its power.
This is subdued, soulful work. You see the pain etched into his face, the weight of his past in every gesture. He’s not bugging his eyes out or chewing the scenery here—he’s doing something much deeper. It’s one of the best films he’s made in the past 15 years and a performance that reminded everyone what a great actor he truly is.
Alan Parker’s drama about trauma and friendship during and after the Vietnam War is an underrated gem. Cage plays Al Columbato, the supportive best friend of the psychologically damaged Birdy (Matthew Modine). It's a beautiful story of friendship, mental illness, and post-war healing.
Cage is mostly the straight man here, but that doesn't make his performance any less powerful. He’s the emotional backbone of the movie, and his chemistry with Modine is incredibly moving. It’s some of his most restrained and mature work. This was one of the first signs that Cage was more than just a quirky character actor—he could also play emotionally resonant, dramatic roles with depth and integrity.
Pig came out of nowhere. In the middle of a run of terrible VOD movies, here comes this quiet, contemplative film about a truffle hunter in the Oregon wilderness whose beloved pig is stolen. What sounds like the setup for a John Wick-style revenge flick becomes something far more profound.
Cage is remarkable here. Quiet, soulful, devastating. He barely raises his voice. This is not “crazy Cage”—this is a masterclass in restraint. You can feel the pain behind his eyes. It’s an achingly beautiful performance and proof that Cage still has the ability to surprise us. Pig is one of the better movies of the 2020s, and Nicolas Cage is astonishing in it.
This is where many people first took notice of Nicolas Cage. As the punk rocker who falls in love with a valley girl (Deborah Foreman), Cage brings charm, wit, and a surprising emotional depth to what could’ve been a cookie-cutter romantic lead. This is Romeo and Juliet with synths and day-glo.
He’s funny, vulnerable, and undeniably charismatic. This performance showed early on that Cage wasn’t going to be a typical leading man—he was going to be something weirder and more exciting. The film itself is a terrific '80s romantic comedy with one of the best soundtracks of all time, and Cage is its undeniable heart.
Cher won an Oscar for her role, but Nicolas Cage holds his own and then some in this romantic comedy classic. Playing Ronny Cammareri, the passionate, volatile baker with a wooden hand, Cage gives one of his most memorable performances. He’s magnetic, romantic, and completely unpredictable.
His scenes with Cher crackle with energy, and his big monologues are legendary. It’s a performance full of big emotions, big gestures, and big charm. Moonstruck is one of the great romantic comedies of the '80s, and Cage’s performance is a huge reason why.
This isn’t a sequel or remake of Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant—this is Werner Herzog doing his own twisted thing. And Cage matches Herzog’s madness beat for beat. He plays a corrupt, drug-addicted cop who hallucinates iguanas and goes on a spiraling journey through the underbelly of New Orleans.
This is top-tier crazy Cage, but it works because the movie around him is just as unhinged. He’s wild, unpredictable, and somehow still sympathetic. The movie is strange and surreal and unforgettable, and Nicolas Cage is a huge part of why it works so well.
This heavy-metal, neon-drenched fever dream from Panos Cosmatos is a wild ride. Cage plays Red, a man hellbent on avenging the brutal murder of his girlfriend by a cult. The movie is hypnotic, ultra-violent, and completely bonkers.
He also gets to work with the extraordinarily gifted Andrea Riseborough (the woman who should have won an Oscar for her sublime work in To Leslie), who matches him beat for crazy beat in every scene.
Cage is at his most deranged here, but it’s not empty lunacy—it’s earned. His grief, his rage, his pain—they’re all palpable. It’s a gonzo performance in a gonzo movie, and he nails it. Mandy is visually stunning and emotionally raw, and Cage is the perfect center for its madness.
David Lynch’s road movie/love story/crime film/fairy tale hybrid is one of the most unique films of Cage’s career. As Sailor Ripley, he’s part Elvis, part outlaw, and all Nicolas Cage. His chemistry with Laura Dern is electric, and his monologues about his snakeskin jacket and undying love are unforgettable.
This is a perfect Cage performance: wild, romantic, strange, and sincere. He goes big, but it fits the surreal world Lynch creates. Wild at Heart won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and cemented Cage’s status as a truly one-of-a-kind actor. It’s an essential performance from one of the most fascinating careers in modern film.
So, there they are....my favorite Nic Cage performances. Did I miss any? What are yours? Let me know by emailing me here nick@nickdigilio.com
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