5 Best Nicolas Cage Movies On Prime Video

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Prime Video has a lot of Nicolas Cage films, but not all of them are great. Cage is a very famous actor with a long and successful career, making him a Hollywood icon. While he’s known for playing wild and eccentric characters, he’s also proven he can deliver powerful and serious performances.

Nicolas Cage may not be a huge box office star anymore, but he consistently works on new projects. Although many of his recent films have gone straight to streaming with smaller budgets, he still delivers memorable performances in movies like Longlegs and Pig. With his range as an actor, it’s always exciting to see what he’ll do next.

As a big Nicolas Cage fan, I was excited to see Prime Video has a huge library of his movies – almost 20! But honestly, not all of them are winners. I’ve been digging through the list, and while there’s a lot to choose from, I’ve found a few real standouts that I think everyone should definitely watch. It takes some searching, but those gems are totally worth it!

5. Willy’s Wonderland (2021)

Before the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie came out in 2023, Willy’s Wonderland stepped in to satisfy fans of scary, robotic creatures. The film stars Nicolas Cage as a wanderer who takes a job cleaning an abandoned family fun center, only to discover it’s haunted by murderous animatronics. Although clearly made to capitalize on the popularity of Five Nights at Freddy’s, Willy’s Wonderland is surprisingly bold in its approach.

Despite being made with a limited budget, the film cleverly uses its resources to create genuinely creepy and scary animatronic characters. Nicolas Cage delivers a captivating performance without uttering a single line of dialogue. Willy’s Wonderland isn’t flawless, but it’s a delightfully cheesy, low-budget movie that embraces exactly what it is.

4. Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans (2009)

Werner Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is a prime example of a film that challenges expectations. The movie follows a troubled police officer (Nicolas Cage) as he tries to solve a string of murders that are terrifying New Orleans. Although it shares a title with the 1992 film Bad Lieutenant, the 2009 version is a completely different story.

Port of Call New Orleans playfully pokes fun at typical cop movies, but it’s not a silly parody. Nicolas Cage delivers a wonderfully over-the-top performance that fits the film’s exaggerated style – everything feels slightly larger than life. If you see it as a commentary on the cop movie genre, it’s one of the smartest films from the late 2000s, even though it isn’t connected to any previous movies.

3. Joe (2013)

Many consider Joe to be one of Nicolas Cage’s strongest films in recent years, proving his talent when paired with a well-written story. The movie follows a teenager named Tye Sheridan who works with a lumber crew and asks his boss, played by Cage, for help escaping his abusive father. It’s a realistic and moving story about growing up, directed by David Gordon Green, known for his work on Halloween.

This suspenseful thriller lives and dies on the performances of Nicolas Cage and Sheridan, and both deliver exceptional work. The film avoids typical Hollywood polish, and even features non-professional actors in key roles, giving it a strikingly authentic feel that makes the story’s emotional core even more captivating. Though it didn’t get much attention upon release, Joe is a film that truly deserves to be seen.

2. Lord Of War (2005)

Nicolas Cage’s ability to take on diverse roles is what truly makes him a cinematic icon, and that’s especially evident in Lord of War. In the film, he portrays a Ukrainian immigrant who rises to become the world’s leading illegal arms dealer. Lord of War is a darkly humorous film, intentionally bleak and unapologetically cynical.

Despite not making much money at the box office, the movie was well-received by critics. Nicolas Cage gives a fantastic performance, though the film isn’t flawless. The story’s message gets lost because the characters aren’t fully developed, but this doesn’t ruin the viewing experience. Released at the perfect moment, Lord of War really captured the political feeling of the early 2000s.

Many consider this one of Nicolas Cage’s finest performances because he truly shines in the role. The film would likely have been much weaker with a different actor. Cage brought a surprising amount of humanity to his character, which might have challenged viewers expecting to simply dislike him, but ultimately made the movie more compelling. It’s a difficult role that very few actors could have handled so well.

1. Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Nicolas Cage is known for his wild and eccentric roles, but he delivered a surprisingly raw and authentic performance in Leaving Las Vegas. The film follows a screenwriter who travels to Las Vegas with the intention of drinking until he dies, and the unexpected connection he makes with a sex worker also struggling with self-destruction. Their complex relationship honestly portrays the realities of addiction without becoming overly sentimental.

While it’s a powerful film, Leaving Las Vegas can be tough to watch. Nicolas Cage gives a realistic and compelling performance, and his chemistry with Elisabeth Shue is fantastic. This is the role that earned him his one and only Academy Award, and it’s arguably his best work. Considering how many less successful films Nicolas Cage has made, this classic really stands out, and is readily available to stream on Prime Video.

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2026-01-11 00:59