Ranked and Where to Watch

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• Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage has brought unique intensity to every role in his 40-year career.
• He’s won awards for his work in “Leaving Las Vegas,” “Lord of War,” “Pig,” and more.
• You can stream some of his best movies on services like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and HBO Max.

Nicolas Cage is a national treasure. Whether you love him or hate him, you have to admit he’s an incredibly talented actor with an immense range that makes him equally believable in comedies, dramas, action films, and thrillers.

To prepare for the April 22 release of Cage’s new film “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent,” I watched all 81 of his movies to select the very best of the best. 

Below, I broke down what makes each of my picks special, along with details on where you can watch each movie right now. If you’re a fellow fan or just someone looking to catch up on the actor’s extensive filmography, this list ranks the essential Nicolas Cage movies you won’t want to miss.

Methodology

To determine which Nicolas Cage movies made the cut, I weighed each of the following metrics equally when ranking the actor’s films:

• Rotten Tomatoes‘ Tomatometer rating based on reviews from critics
• My personal rating of a film on a scale of one to 10 based on its entertainment and artistic value
• My subjective rating on a scale of one to 10 of each movie’s “Cage Factor”

To be included among the best Nicolas Cage movies, a film must have at least 60% on the Tomatometer at time of publication, and at least a six in each of my two personal ratings. 

When choosing eligible titles, I didn’t include movies where:

• Cage was just a voice actor
• He wasn’t a top-five billed actor
• There wasn’t a Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer rating

What is the Cage Factor?

Cage is well known for his passionate acting and uniquely entertaining performance choices. The “Cage Factor” rates how clearly that passion comes through in his character’s intensity.

It could be through wild voice modulation, but he can also get there with just a look, as illustrated by countless memes. He’s willing to go to a level that isn’t necessarily over-acting but that’s beyond what most actors are capable of. The Cage Factor can turn a boring, poorly written movie into a must-see classic.

Based on my comprehensive research, here are the 16 best Nicolas Cage movies and where to watch them