Nicolas Cage’smovies seem to get better and better every year, and his 2021 release has all the signs of a cult classic with lasting appeal.Cage has had several stages in his career, which remains one of the most interesting in Hollywood history. He started out in smaller movies in the 1980s when he was in his late teens and early 20s. However, by the 1990s,Cage was one of the biggest action stars in the worldwith films likeThe Rock, Face/Off, andCon-Air.However, things changed for Cage in the 2000s.
After a period of making more and moreDTV movies and poorly reviewed low-budget films, he began to slip in status for many film fans. That changed again, though, in the 2010s, when Cage began to take on more interesting roles.Many of Cage’s choices were still DTVand low-budget movies, but they allowed him to make creative choices and appear in unique and memorable films. This includes his 2021 release,Pig,a box-office disappointment with everything it takes to become his next beloved cult classic since arriving on streaming services.
Pig Is The Perfect Kind Of Cult Classic
Nicolas Cage Subverts Fans' Expectations WithPig
Pighas all the makings of a Nicolas Cage cult classic. However, one thing that fans have to understand is that the movie is not what the trailer might suggest. Cage playsRobin “Rob” Feld, a truffle farmer who lives off the gridwith his beloved truffle pig. He sells his truffles to a young man named Amir (Alex Wolff), and little is known about Rob until one day, two men show up, attack him, and steal his beloved pig. Rob then sets out to find his pet.
The entire setup is eerily similar toJohn Wick. Both Wick and Rob had their wives die, and they now live in retirement and want to be left alone with their only real companion, a beloved animal. When someone takes their pet from them, they set out to do something about it. However, Rob goes on a more contemplative journey instead of killing everyone who killed his dog, as John Wick did. There are violent moments inPig, but Rob is someone who will kill with words rather than guns.
Pigis a thoughtful movie that is destined to be a cult classic.
Rob isn’t a former assassin, he is a former chef. The finale ofJohn Wickhad major gun battles and a brutal fight scene with the father of the man responsible.InPig, the final scene is also against the fatherof the man responsible, but this is not a brutal fight; it is a meal Rob makes that devastates everyone, including himself. It is a moment that leaves the viewer rethinking everything that happened in the film.John Wickis an action extravaganza.Pigis a thoughtful movie that is destined to be a cult classic.
Nicolas Cage Is Already A Cult Classic King
Longlegs,The Surfer,Dream Scenario, & More Prove His Cult Status
Nicolas Cage has become a master of cult classics, and as he gets older, his movies are becoming more interesting. 2025’sThe Surferis one that has a similar setup toPig. It’s about a man who seeks solace, but this time with his son. When a group of bad guys humiliate him in front of his son and torment him, he doesn’t use violence as an answer, but the trailers make it seem like he does. That is likely whyThe Surferhas a high 86% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and a low 46% score from audiencemembers.
However, likePig, there is a good chance thatThe Surferwill become a cult classic when it hits streaming, and people will know more about what to expect from the story. Over the last few years, his filmography has been littered with these brilliant and subversive movies.Longlegsis a horror thriller in which Cage is barely seen.Dream Scenariois a look at fame for someone who doesn’t want it.Renfieldlets Cage play out his massive love of Bela Lugosi.Willy’s Wonderlandis a wonderful take onFive Nights At Freddy’s.
Through these films, Cage has been able to erase some of his biggest disappointments.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talentis probably his most famous and successful of these cult classics.He plays Nick Cage, a fictional version of himself, as he ends up fighting for his life alongside a South American billionaire played by Pedro Pascal, a self-professed Nick Cage fan. The film winks at the audience and allows Cage to make fun of his public persona, and it might be the best movie of its type. Through these films, Cage has been able to erase some of his biggest disappointments (The Wicker Man) from fans' collective minds.
Why Pig Wasn’t A Big Hit Upon Release
PigIs Not The Action Movie The Trailers Teased
There are two reasonsPigwasn’t a big hit when it was released in theaters. The first is thatNicolas Cage movies are still an acquired taste, and many people still associate him with bad DTV releases. The other problem was audience reviews after seeingPig.OnRotten Tomatoes, critics highly praisedPig, awarding it a 97% fresh rating, while the audience score is also high, at 83%. However, it’s easy to see from the people who reviewed it early on why they left the theater disappointed.
Many people went intoPigand expected it to be likeJohn Wick.
Many people went intoPigand expected it to be likeJohn Wickbut that is not what this movie is about. Anyone wanting violent action, with Nicolas Cage destroying everyone responsible for taking his truffle pig, was in for a huge shock. There were some moments of intense violence, but they were only small parts of the movie. The rest of the film sees Cage seeking answers. He talks a lot more than he throws punches. The movie is a meditative look at depression and isolation, and that is what makes it work so well.
This is also why it will be a cult classic. Once people got past the idea that this was an action movie with Nicolas Cage searching for his pig, they saw the brilliance in the story. Reviews from the audience show that there are plenty of fans. However, there are still people who hate the idea of Cage talking instead of fighting and the entire ending being a foodie moment that parallels tragedy and depression.Pigwas a movie that would never do well in theaters but is perfectly set up to remain a cult classic for years to come.
Pig
Cast
Starring Nicolas Cage, Pig centers on a truffle hunter in Oregon who returns to his former home in Portland to track down his beloved pig that was stolen from him. The drama mystery was directed by Michael Sarnoski, who would go on to direct the Quiet Place spinoff titled A Quiet Place: Day One.
