Spoilers are just going to get off here.

I hated myself for skipping this one during Fantasia, but I knew it had no problem finding distribution. I think I guessed correctly which kind of film this was going to be. It is a fun ride (that’s my review in a nutshell). Nicholas Cage does an excellent job here. However, I do have some reservations that will more or less be just me nitpicking. That being said, if I had nothing to say we wouldn’t be posting this here. Buckle up.

(Credit: RLJE Films)

Sympathy for the Devil (2023) is directed by Yuval Adler and written by Luke Paradise. An expectant father (Joel Kinnaman) races to the hospital. He’s anxious to see his wife who has just gone into labor. As he finds a spot in the parking garage, someone climbs into his car and demands that he drives. Now the unwilling Driver and his unexpected Passenger (Nicholas Cage) are at an impasse. But of course, the Passenger just happens to be armed. We’re going for a ride.

This one works better the less you look it up, but given that it is Cage you are probably curious. The role of the mysterious Passenger fits like a glove for Cage and precisely that is why I might have the tiniest little issue with it. We’ve seen unhinged Cage before, he doesn’t disappoint and he’s had chances to fine tune this type of character to perfection… But then again that also means this is nothing new for him. I’d almost want to see another actor here to try this one for size. It’s the kind of role that could give a new face their breakthrough into potential stardom.

Of course, it works. Cage and Kinnaman have good chemistry as the wild and crazy gunman spouting wisdom and nonsense in the same sentence and the worried family man that is trying to get back to his wife giving birth. The Passenger insists he didn’t climb into the Driver’s car by accident, claiming the innocent family man has a secret past he’s going to answer for. The Driver insists he’s got the wrong person. I’ll let you find out for yourself what happens in the end. I found it a nice and satisfying conclusion, but that’s just me.

Highly recommended with reservations. It’s a pure genre film with characters that you’ve seen before. Cage plays his smooth talking unhinged sociopath while Kinnaman is the family man. It is a very solid thriller that mostly goes down smooth but it’s also a premise that’s been done before. Worth a watch for Cage fans, who might put this one halfway between best and worst of his performances.

That will do for now.