Nicolas Cage Says These 5 Movies Had The Best Scripts He's Ever Read

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Since making his acting debut in 1982's "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," Nicolas Cage has gone on to amass an astounding filmography that has never stopped evolving. He's admittedly made some baffling choices as an actor, starring in the infamously terrible "Deadfall" (which has a zero rating on Rotten Tomatoes) and the 2019 dud "Grand Isle," whose flaws have more to do with its storytelling than Cage's performance as a haunted war veteran. Really, we would be here all day if I were to list the scores of middling-to-awful straight-to-video flicks Cage has starred in, yet the actor never, ever phones it in and shows up to every role with an intensity that is tough to match.

Being one of those actors who shines brighter than ever when given layered, intriguing roles to work with, Cage has delivered several unforgettable performances worth rooting for. For starters, we have the lesser-known John Dahl neo-noir thriller "Red Rock West," where Cage plays the unfairly maligned Michael Williams to compelling effect. We also have films like "Raising Arizona" and "Adaptation," which underline his strengths as a comedic actor, while movies like "Face/Off" and "Mandy" help platform his incredible range (and charming eccentricity). But perhaps the actor's most profoundly complex role to date, in my opinion, is Rob Feld in Michael Sarnoski's "Pig," in which his performance is raw and evocative in ways rarely seen before.

Cage's ability to completely lose himself within a character has been re-affirmed by his more recent turn in "Longlegs," where the actor is quite literally unrecognizable thanks to brilliant prosthetic work and genuinely eerie character conception. Although the jump scares in "Longlegs" are scarce, and Cage's titular figure pops up sparingly, every scene he is in feels charged with layers of terror. This is the kind of role that Cage has been long awaiting, as it is unlike anything that he has ever embodied throughout his career.

This begs the question: which other roles, or scripts, has Cage been partial to over the years? Let's find out.

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During the world premiere of Kristoffer Borgli's "Dream Scenario" at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Cage revealed the following about the best scripts he's ever read:

"In 45 years, I've only read five scripts, where I've said, 'This has to happen. It's very important. I have to make this movie. I know how to play this part.' And the five scripts were 'Leaving Las Vegas,' 'Raising Arizona,' 'Vampire's Kiss,' 'Adaptation,' and 'Dream Scenario.'"

When asked about other scripts that helped make foundational Cage movies — such as David Lynch's "Wild at Heart" — the actor clarified that while such entries were "terrific," the aforementioned ones were very close to perfection. There is little need to make a case for most of these films, but I have to say that "Vampire's Kiss" works solely because of the livewire energy Cage brings to the role of a man consumed by fantastical delusions, flitting between earnestness and parody as he spirals out of control. However, the script of such a darkly comic storyline has to be great enough for it to work so well on the big screen, as the absurdity of the premise comes through on every level.

As for the latest of these five entries, "Dream Scenario," Cage spoke to The Verge in 2023 about how his character in the film, Paul Matthews, helped him "channel [his] response" to becoming a meme over the years:

"'If it wasn't for the memes, I may not have stayed in the conversation [...] 'Dream Scenario,' specifically, was cathartic because I was able to channel my response to becoming a meme through Paul Matthews and what he was going through with his dreamification. I would not have been able to play Paul Matthews as authentically as I think I have if I had not gone through that experience, I don't think."

Meme-fication aside, "Dream Scenario" is a delightfully peculiar and humorous addition to Cage's filmography, so be sure to check out that darkly fantastical comedy when you can.