Surreal Nic Cage Dark Comedy Now Streaming: “A contender for his career best”
Nicolas Cage may be one of the most misunderstood actors ever put on this Earth. To the point where NBC’s hit comedy series, Community, even featured an episode where film nerd Abed (Danny Pudi) teaches a class called “Nicolas Cage: Good or Bad?” The joke speaks to the public’s perception of a star they just can’t pin down. Regardless, you know that when you see a Nic Cage film, you’re going to get a unique performance that only he could deliver. Well, in the late ’80s, the actor took on a role in Vampire’s Kiss that isn’t just memorable…it’s the scariest thing he’s ever done.
While I wouldn’t categorize Vampire’s Kiss as a game-changer for the actor, it did mark his first foray into true horror. And it features a Nic Cage performance that you must see to believe.
What’s Vampire’s Kiss About?
Publishing exec Peter Loew (Cage) lives the high life. He has a good job. A swanky apartment. But after a steamy encounter with Rachel (Jennifer Beals), Loew believes he may have just been bitten by a vampire. Was it all in his head, or has he begun a slow progression into becoming the undead? Whatever the case, Loew finds himself cascading into madness, threatening his secretary, Alva (Maria Conchita Alonso), and all those around him.
The Most Meme-able Nic Cage Performance of All Time
Through Cage, Robert Bierman’s debut feature tackles yuppie culture in ways that will resonate with anyone who has ever worked under such a figure. Peter’s the sort of man who sees others as a means to an end rather than actual people. The type who harasses Alva into finding a file he clearly misplaced while assigning himself zero blame. That guy who spouts pretentious BS and thinks himself the smartest person in the room when he most definitely isn’t. A reflection of the worst boss you’ve ever had, personified here as the blood-sucking monster that he is.
Years later, American Psycho would follow the format laid down by Vampire’s Kiss. Both are dark comedies riddled with as many laughs as moments of pure terror. You’ve likely seen various memes of Cage from Vampire’s Kiss, as often used as his “not the bees” moment from the Wicker Man remake. Cage turns his character’s manic side up to eleven, delivering scenes of wide-eyed menace and screeching frustration. It’s all hilarious to watch, yet terrifying at the same time. When Cage isn’t making us laugh uncomfortably, we’re put in the shoes of Alva. The poor woman lives in fear of Peter’s fury, made all the more frightening by his inability to accept reason or feel any remorse.
What Others Are Saying
Various Letterboxd users seem to hold this one in high regard. Nicolas Cage is no stranger to horror, but this early film just so happens to feature his scariest (and wildest) performance yet. One sees Cage’s performance in Vampire’s Kiss as “a contender for his career best,” while another takes it one step further and claims it’s “a legitimate contender for the greatest performance of all-time.”
An all-time performance or not, Vampire’s Kiss features Nic Cage at peak Nic Cage, whatever that means to you. If you still have yet to experience the madness, stream it on Tubi and prepare for the wildest (and scariest) performance from Cage that you have ever seen.
Categorized: Streaming News
