Forced to drive a passenger at gunpoint, a man finds himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse.Forced to drive a passenger at gunpoint, a man finds himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse.Forced to drive a passenger at gunpoint, a man finds himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse.
- Awards
- 2 wins total
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Another role that seams to be written for Mr Cage. Weather it was or not only Cage could pull it off with such ease.
From the red velvet jacket,to the violent gun totting psycho,to the quotes and unpredictability. This just oozes Cage.
I really didn't know where it was even going but could sit and watch this on form Cage all day.
Very low budget but excellently made even in the style of him.
There's a great anticipated twist that your obviously waiting for and stacks of crazy moments to satisfy the soul.
As you may have guessed it's a must for all Cage fans but won't be everyone's cup of tea.
From the red velvet jacket,to the violent gun totting psycho,to the quotes and unpredictability. This just oozes Cage.
I really didn't know where it was even going but could sit and watch this on form Cage all day.
Very low budget but excellently made even in the style of him.
There's a great anticipated twist that your obviously waiting for and stacks of crazy moments to satisfy the soul.
As you may have guessed it's a must for all Cage fans but won't be everyone's cup of tea.
Let's get one thing straight: "Sympathy for the Devil" isn't a good movie. In no universe would I ever recommend this to anyone unless they were huge Nicolas Cage fans (such as myself). Why? Because, besides Cage's performance, there is really nothing here that is worthy of any real entertainment value. The violence is oddly shot and unfortunately neutered; the story is a predictable rehash of plotlines done - and done better - in a countless number of other films; and the movie (though it does look good, what with its neon-drenched cinematography) is clearly low budget, with 85% of it taking place inside of a vehicle. All of that said, Nicolas Cage's performance is so out-there, so extreme, and so colorful, that it makes "Sympathy for the Devil" a must watch for Cage fans.
Wow, wow, and wow. Where to start with "Sympathy for the Devil?" A certified Cage classic, if you're watching this movie, you're only watching it for one Nic Cage..... and one that front, it delivers. Cage is so, so entertaining here - he butchers a Brooklyn accent, he screams throughout 90% of his performance, and - for some reason - his hair is dyed red. What more could you ask for? Cage goes wild here, playing a character that will resort to violence at the drop of a hat - he's unpredictable, he's semi-menacing, and he's a whole lot of fun to watch on screen. If you want to watch this for Cage, you owe it to yourself to give it a go.
If you want to watch this for any other reason besides Nic Cage? You probably won't have that good of a time. Because, truth be told, there isn't really a lot of substance here. The majority of the movie consists of two people talking while pretending to drive a vehicle, and it's about as interesting as you'd expect, elevated only by Cage's wacky performance. I do have an affinity for Joel Kinnaman, and he is good here, but he really doesn't have that much to do. Like I said, the majority of the movie consists of Cage and Kinnaman speaking to each other, and while Cage's character adds entertainment value, there really isn't much depth to the performances or the conversations - in fact, the lack of depth was so noticeable that I found myself immediately forgetting the contents of the conversations as soon as they were over.
"Forgettable" is also an apt word to describe this movie; not much happens, and when it does, it doesn't leave any real type of impact on viewers. Simply put, this is a watchable, fast food-esque movie that you can put on, enjoy, and immediately never think about again as soon as the credits roll. And this isn't to say that I think this movie is horrible, because I don't - I just think that it's a movie strictly made for fans of Nicolas Cage. Not a Cage fan? Then you probably won't find much to enjoy here.
Wow, wow, and wow. Where to start with "Sympathy for the Devil?" A certified Cage classic, if you're watching this movie, you're only watching it for one Nic Cage..... and one that front, it delivers. Cage is so, so entertaining here - he butchers a Brooklyn accent, he screams throughout 90% of his performance, and - for some reason - his hair is dyed red. What more could you ask for? Cage goes wild here, playing a character that will resort to violence at the drop of a hat - he's unpredictable, he's semi-menacing, and he's a whole lot of fun to watch on screen. If you want to watch this for Cage, you owe it to yourself to give it a go.
If you want to watch this for any other reason besides Nic Cage? You probably won't have that good of a time. Because, truth be told, there isn't really a lot of substance here. The majority of the movie consists of two people talking while pretending to drive a vehicle, and it's about as interesting as you'd expect, elevated only by Cage's wacky performance. I do have an affinity for Joel Kinnaman, and he is good here, but he really doesn't have that much to do. Like I said, the majority of the movie consists of Cage and Kinnaman speaking to each other, and while Cage's character adds entertainment value, there really isn't much depth to the performances or the conversations - in fact, the lack of depth was so noticeable that I found myself immediately forgetting the contents of the conversations as soon as they were over.
"Forgettable" is also an apt word to describe this movie; not much happens, and when it does, it doesn't leave any real type of impact on viewers. Simply put, this is a watchable, fast food-esque movie that you can put on, enjoy, and immediately never think about again as soon as the credits roll. And this isn't to say that I think this movie is horrible, because I don't - I just think that it's a movie strictly made for fans of Nicolas Cage. Not a Cage fan? Then you probably won't find much to enjoy here.
It comes from the less known Israeli filmmaker Yuval Adler, who has a few class B movies in his pocket, a mystery thriller.
Fright night (a great freaking night, as Nicholas Cage likes to say) under the lights of Las Vegas
Starring Joel Kinnaman and Nicholas Cage, who is also producing, we are grabbed from the opening shot music and scenes of a moody typical night in Las Vegas,but you know,what happens in Vegas? As the story follows David,a caring family man (Joel Kinnaman), as he is preparing for the big night of his second child birth,but then gets mysteriously caught in a rough game with an unhinged stranger (Nicholas Cage) with red dyed hair to match the suit that goes with it.
As the unknown passenger switches between the seats from the back one to shotgun, you get the feeling that it's about to come down tonight while the cards start facing up, slowly building up the tension and stress throughout its 90-minute running time.
With the least unnecessary scenes and a good soundtrack, you're treated to a solid performance from Joel while he anxiously struggles to unravel the past as the clock is ticking, and Nicholas Cage's outstanding acting and terrific facial expressions as he throws cheesy but catchy classic lines and shows off with his smooth-ish dance moves and singing, and an awesome Cage Rage moment with his roof-bursting temper. Both of them carry the film to an acceptable direct ending at the moment that the screen is burning with exploding molotovs.
Similar to Michael Mann's Collateral from 2004 in many ways, with a lower budget and vibes like in Ryan Gosling's Drive from 2011.
Sympathy for the Devil delivers a good watch to enjoy while making you wonder: what does the sound of screaming rabbits seem like?
Fright night (a great freaking night, as Nicholas Cage likes to say) under the lights of Las Vegas
Starring Joel Kinnaman and Nicholas Cage, who is also producing, we are grabbed from the opening shot music and scenes of a moody typical night in Las Vegas,but you know,what happens in Vegas? As the story follows David,a caring family man (Joel Kinnaman), as he is preparing for the big night of his second child birth,but then gets mysteriously caught in a rough game with an unhinged stranger (Nicholas Cage) with red dyed hair to match the suit that goes with it.
As the unknown passenger switches between the seats from the back one to shotgun, you get the feeling that it's about to come down tonight while the cards start facing up, slowly building up the tension and stress throughout its 90-minute running time.
With the least unnecessary scenes and a good soundtrack, you're treated to a solid performance from Joel while he anxiously struggles to unravel the past as the clock is ticking, and Nicholas Cage's outstanding acting and terrific facial expressions as he throws cheesy but catchy classic lines and shows off with his smooth-ish dance moves and singing, and an awesome Cage Rage moment with his roof-bursting temper. Both of them carry the film to an acceptable direct ending at the moment that the screen is burning with exploding molotovs.
Similar to Michael Mann's Collateral from 2004 in many ways, with a lower budget and vibes like in Ryan Gosling's Drive from 2011.
Sympathy for the Devil delivers a good watch to enjoy while making you wonder: what does the sound of screaming rabbits seem like?
I liked it better than the reviews would have me believe. If you are a fan of Cage's overacting style, you will love this movie. Cage plays the part very well as you would expect from him, but Joel Kinnaman was a really good lead too. The soundtrack is really, really good. It fits the tone and atmosphere of the movie very well. With a running time of about one and a half hour you won't get bored, the main story unfolds fast, and although the plot is quite predictable the journey towards it remains intriguing enough. All in all a very entertaining movie, and a must-see if you are a Cage fan like me! 7/10.
Nicolas Cage gives his expected over-the-top charismatic performance, and is the only reason you may finish watching this poorly paced 90 min predictable slog with nothing really new to offer.
This film has some intense moments, but ultimately, the story is too tired, cliched, predictable, and goes no where - as though the filmmakers are making it up as they go along. You'll find yourself just sitting around until Cage can go wild, wondering if the Mucous Man was really sprinkling boogers in the writer's creative juices as this screenplay was being written.
There was no devil in the details of this script, and the only sympathy the devil deserves should be given to anyone viewing this mess. It's a very generous 5/10 all going to the two leads who gave it their best shot with what little they had to work with.
This film has some intense moments, but ultimately, the story is too tired, cliched, predictable, and goes no where - as though the filmmakers are making it up as they go along. You'll find yourself just sitting around until Cage can go wild, wondering if the Mucous Man was really sprinkling boogers in the writer's creative juices as this screenplay was being written.
There was no devil in the details of this script, and the only sympathy the devil deserves should be given to anyone viewing this mess. It's a very generous 5/10 all going to the two leads who gave it their best shot with what little they had to work with.
Did you know
- TriviaDuring a Q and A, the director and producer revealed that The Passenger's red hair was a choice made by Nicolas Cage and that he just showed up to set with it.
- GoofsAt 1:03:34, you can clearly see a jump-cut when Nicolas Cage throws a Molotov cocktail.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Half in the Bag: The Kyle Gallner Triple Feature Spectacular! (2023)
- SoundtracksFears Become Wishes
Performed by Lily Kershaw
Courtesy of Little Red Productions Inc. under exclusive license to Nettwerk Music Group Inc.
- How long is Sympathy for the Devil?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Compasión por el diablo
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $11,990
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $5,378
- Jul 30, 2023
- Gross worldwide
- $284,733
- Runtime1 hour 30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39:1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content