Few actors have garnered the number of devout, cult-like, following that Nicolas Cage has. Fans of the actor have followed him through thick and thin, good films and bad. The star has even amassed several podcasts dedicated purely to documenting his career. It’s an incredible feat, especially as there was a period where Cage, by his own admission, was working on certain projects just to raise cash to help clear debt. Now Cage is out of the red, and back on top form, riding a wave of hit after hit. The latest film to catch Cage’s eye, Sympathy for the Devil, is no exception.
Told over the course of one night, Sympathy for the Devil is Hitcher meets Collateral with a few skeletons hiding in its closet. Set in Las Vegas, the plot sees soon-to-be new father David (Joel Kinnaman) taken hostage by Cage’s mysterious and nameless stranger. After hearing the news that his wife is in labour, David races to the hospital. His plan to be there for the birth is thrown into disarray when he gets car jacked whilst trying to park. Rather than kick him out of the car though, the passenger insists that David drive him to his desired destination. A fraught game of cat and mouse ensues with neither man being quite what they appear.
Sympathy for the Devil is a superb thriller, one with an ever-tightening noose wrapped around itself. Director Yuval Adler weaves claustrophobic tension that constantly constricts until the viewer is almost breathless. The atmosphere created by Adler is complimented by the visuals captured by cinematographer Steven Holleran. Sympathy for the Devil is set at night and Holleran lenses the black highways on which David drives beautifully. Amongst the darkness of the streets are smatterings of red, green, and occasional blue light. Their inclusion adds a welcome moody neon hue that provides the ideal setting for Cage and Kinnaman to do their thing.
Both Cage and Kinnaman have a history of strong work and here they are exemplary. Each actor comes at their roles from a different angle, which is fitting as David and his passenger are very different men. The passenger provides Cage a perfect outlet for him to unleash his full inner-Cage. Though nameless, this passenger is a wordsmith with machine-gun speed delivery. There is barely a moment that he is on screen that he isn’t talking, and Cage is a master at lengthy and chaotic monologues. His performance is littered with some excellent classic Cage facial expressions and shouting, plus there is a brilliant mid-movie song and dance. The costume reinforces the fiery aspect of his character. Cage is adorned with red hair and clad in a matching suit that exudes Vegas magician. He even has his own deck of cards.
In contrast, Kinnaman’s bespectacled performance is more reserved and subdued. David is a meek man and is easily overthrown by his passenger’s overbearing personality. Kinnaman sells David’s distress and frustration and makes him an easy character for the audience to side with. With Cage’s passenger so dominant, Kinnaman’s performance is more reactionary than confrontational. David’s inaction still manages to be engaging however, with Kinnaman being easily able to draw the viewer in. No mean feat when squaring off against a personality as strong as Cage’s. When paired together, the screen sizzles. Both men are at the top of their game here, each entirely comfortable within the skin of their characters. The bulk of Sympathy for the Devil is just the two of them, the only real change being the location of their interactions.
Cage and Kinnaman’s performances are amped up by the Sympathy for the Devil’s restricted amount of locations. Although technically operating as a road movie, there are few stops along the way. The majority of Sympathy for the Devil is told within the small confines of David’s car. This initial setting helps build some early intensity, the air within the vehicle charged with the passengers thinly veiled threats. A shift from car to diner during the middle third opens the world up, but rather than distilling the tension, it pushes it to breaking point. As the levy crashes down, Adler activates Cage and carnage spills across the screen. This diner sequence is the film’s strongest, though a later climatic car park, chase, and confrontation comes close.
Sympathy for the Devil operates much like a corkscrew, forever turning, twisting and tightening. Adler orchestrates the narrative beats with aplomb and the visuals are a neon tinged delight. The director’s hard work is mirrored by its committed cast, with both Cage and Kinnaman giving striking performances. Whenever on screen, the two sizzle and their exchanges and actions help reinforce the tight, almost claustrophobic world constructed. An effortlessly cool nocturnal thriller, Sympathy for the Devil is yet another example of Cage on top form.
Sympathy for the Devil
Summary
Cage and Kinnaman are at the top of their game in Sympathy for the Devil, a film whose core ingredients; setting, direction, atmosphere and acting, mesh together faultlessly.
Sympathy for the Devil was reviewed at Fantasia International Film Festival. RLJE Films will release Sympathy for the Devil in US theaters on 28th July 2023. Sympathy for the Devil next screens at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest and will be available on Digital in the UK from 8th September.
