Vampire's Kiss (1988) ****

Vampire's Kiss (1988) is a film that gets better with repeat viewings. It was a box office failure but has deservedly gone on to become a cult favorite. It's Nicolas Cage at perhaps his most unCaged (sorry), which is saying a lot. But his performance has a purpose. As hilarious as the film is, it's also harrowing, depressing, and dark (and the marketing for it is all wrong). Cage's Peter Loew, and the film in general, bears striking resemblances to American Psycho (2000) (review) (Christian Bale even said he drew inspiration from Cage's portrayal for Patrick Bateman). What's most interesting to me is that, unlike AP, VK is not looking back at the 1980s and yuppie culture but was made in the midst of it. Loew is a pathetic and doomed character but a fascinating one. He's a misogynist, abusive, an empty shell of a human being, and clearly mentally unwell, but Cage manages to evoke sympathy from the audience.

Cage Rages Ranked