Nicolas Cage started acting back in the early 80s, and he has grown to become a pop culture icon—for better or worse. Though some of his most memorable roles include action thrillers like Face/Off and Con Air, he has a substantial collection of horror films under his belt. And of course, he wouldn't be Nic Cage if they weren't off-the-wall, high concept films.
Related: Nicolas Cage's Most Over the Top Horror Roles
With every one of his performances, Nic Cage puts his all into his role. But sometimes his intensity just isn't enough to save a movie. From the worst of the worst to the best of the best, here are all of Nic Cage's horror films, ranked.
11. Jiu Jitsu
Photo Credit: Acme Rocket FuelI know what you're thinking—how could there possibly be a movie worse than The Wicker Man? Well, feast your eyes upon the 2020 film Jiu Jitsu. At first glance, the plot is a little similar to Predator. If you squint. Every six years, vicious alien invaders descend upon earth. Master fighters, the only ones who can stand against the threat is an ancient order of jiu jitsu masters. Why someone thought Nic Cage should be cast as a figurehead within this organization is perplexing...
10. The Wicker Man
Photo Credit: Warner Bros.A famously bad movie, The Wicker Man has become a favorite for horror fans to poke fun at. A remake of the 1973 film of the same name, this movie from 2006 follows Seattle policeman Edward Malus (Cage). After traveling to a remote island in search of a missing girl, Malus finds himself tangled up in a dangerous pagan plot. But hey, if you're scared of bees, this movie will really get you.
Related: These Bewitching Folk Horror Books Will Haunt Your Dreams
9. Between Worlds
Photo Credit: Rise UpBetween Worlds is definitely a middle-of-the-road film in terms of quality, offering a low simmering unease rather than any heart-pounding terror. But if you're crazy for Cage, you might find it worth watching anyway. Truck driver Joe Majors (Cage) lost his wife and daughter years ago in a fire, and is still haunted by their loss. Julie (Franka Potente) is a bit more literally haunted, as she is in contact with the spirits of the dead. But when Julie enlists Joe's help to find the spirit of her daughter, Billie (Penelope Mitchell), who lies in a coma, the spirit that returns to the body is that of Joe's late wife...
8. Prisoners of the Ghostland
Photo Credit: Patriot PicturesNic Cage's most recent horror romp, this falls in line with his intense high-concept filmography. A notorious criminal (Cage) is released from prison by The Governor (Bill Moseley—a warlord of a frontier city called Samurai Town. The prisoner is offered freedom so long as he returns The Governor's granddaughter (Sofia Boutella) who has run away. If he doesn't return her, the suit he's been strapped into will self-destruct. But the path of his journey will take him through the dark and dangerous territory of Ghostland, which is filled with mutants.
7. Looking Glass
Photo Credit: Highland Film GroupMore of a straightforward thriller than the rest of the movies on the list, this 2018 film is a compelling character-driven scare. Ray (Cage) and his wife Maggie (Robin Tunney) decide to shake up their lives by buying up a motel in the desert. But their fresh start takes a dangerous turn with the discovery of a two-way mirror and a violent murder. Caught up in a deadly mystery, Ray must find the truth from the strange locals if he wants to make it out alive.
Related: 20 Twisted Psychological Thriller Movies That Will Mess with Your Head
6. Pay the Ghost
Photo Credit: Midnight Kitchen ProductionsIn the midst of a festival celebrating Halloween, Mike Lawford's (Cage) son disappears. One year later he is plagued by haunting imagery and terrifyingly perplexing messages. With the help of his estranged wife, Mike sets out to track down their son at all costs. But along the way he stumbles across an eerie legend that refuses to stay buried.
Related: 20 Haunting Ghost Movies That Will Send Chills Down Your Spine
5. Mom and Dad
Photo Credit: Armory FilmsThis comedic horror film from 2017 gives a unique take on pandemic scares. A typically peaceful suburban community is shaken up as a strange virus infects the local parents—a virus which fills them with a murderous rage directed at their own children. Brent (Cage) and Kendall (Selma Blair) Ryan are no exception, and their children Carly (Anne Winters) and Josh (Zackary Arthur) are in for one high stakes fight for their lives.
4. Vampire's Kiss
Photo Credit: HemdaleThis comedic horror film came a bit earlier in 1988. Publishing executive Peter Loew (Cage) was bitten on the neck by a strange woman. Following the baffling encounter, his behavior becomes erratic. Peter is convinced he is becoming a vampire. But as the situation spins out of control, is he trapped in a nightmare come to life, or simply buying in to a bizarre delusion?
Related: 19 Vampire Movies that will Make Your Blood Run Cold
3. Willy's Wonderland
Photo Credit: JD EntertainmentIf you're a fan of the video game Five Night's at Freddy's, then this strange horror flick will absolutely delight you. After a drifter's (Cage) car breaks down in an isolated town, the only way he can pay for the repairs is to take on a janitorial job at the condemned amusement center, Willy's Wonderland. But there's a dark secret at the heart of this fun center, and when the janitor is locked inside overnight, he must fight for his life against the possessed animatronics housed there.
2. Color Out of Space
Photo Credit: SpectreVisionBased on the short story of the same name by H.P Lovecraft, this mind-boggling 2019 science fiction horror flick was a big success. With all the noise of the 21st century, the Gardner family packs up and moves to an isolated farm up in rural New England. But as they're getting used to a new way of doing things, a meteorite strikes down in their front yard. The hunk of space melts the earth around it, spreading an infection to the land and the space-time continuum itself. The otherworldly color of aliens is mutating everything it touches, and the Gardners are right in its path.
Related: 11 Mind-Bending Horror Books for Fans of Color Out of Space
1. Mandy
.jpg?w=1920 "mandy_nic-cage-horror-movies-ranked")
Photo Credit: SpectreVisionThis 2018 horror film has yet another offbeat concept—but it has paid off to great results. Somewhere near the Shadow Mountains in 1983, Red Miller (Cage) is a lumberjack tucked away in a remote cabin in the woods. His girlfriend, Mandy (Andrea Riseborough) is an elaborate artist, and in their life together they leave the traumas of their past behind. Until the leader of a cult, Jeremiah Sand (Linus Roache) takes a liking to Mandy. After he sends his demonic biker gang to kidnap her, Red goes off on a vicious string of revenge.
