Joel Kinnaman as "The Driver" in Sympathy for the Devil (2023).

Sympathy for the Devil - Yuval Adler 2023

Sympathy for the Devil will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 26 via RLJE Films. The 2023 psychological thriller is currently available on Digital.

Nicolas Cage and Joel Kinnaman star. Yuval Adler (The Operative, The Secrets We Keep) directs from a script by Luke Paradise.

Special features are listed below, where you can also watch the trailer.

Special features:

Interviews with actors Nicolas Cage, Joel Kinnaman, and Kaiwi Lyman, director Yuval Adler. and producer Allan Ungar

After being forced to drive a mysterious passenger (Nicolas Cage) at gunpoint, a man (Joel Kinnaman) finds himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse where it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems.

Pre-order Sympathy for the Devil.

Sympathy for the Devil (2023) Review

It's Collateral in the desert, with the Cruise out and in with the Cage.

Plot: After being forced to drive a mysterious passenger at gunpoint, a man finds himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse where it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems.

I do hold a special place in my heart for the acting enigma that is Nicolas Cage. He's truly like no one else, with his over-acting techniques and outrageous performances consistently being enjoyable and interesting to watch, even if he is stuck in a dumpster fire of a movie, and boy there are many turkeys on his filmography! Lately, however, Nicolas Cage has been actually allowed to appear in some solid films, with the wonderfully weird psychological hallucinogenic trip in 2018's Mandy where Cage loses more shit than he usually does; to the hilarious 2022 flick The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent where Cage played himself and gave us the best friend duo we never thought we needed in himself and Pedro Pascal; and this year appearing as Dracula in Renfield. Yep, there was also that Western dud earlier this year called The Old Way which was the most boring interpretation of the Wild West possible where even Cage was on low form, but the less we mention that the better. Be sure to look out for my Top 10 Worst Movies of 2023 list end of the year - The Old Way will surely be making an appearance. Anyway, enough with the shameless self-marketing of my own blog - let's discuss the new Nicolas Cage movie that's gracing our screens!

Sympathy for the Devil is a very by-the-numbers kidnapping movie, that is definitely inspired by the Michael Mann 2004 thriller Collateral, which involves cab driver Jamie Foxx driving around Tom Cruise's assassin as he completes his dirty work. Thrilling movie by the way - can recommend it! As for Sympathy for the Devil, there is nothing new here or original. There's some fun camerawork taking advantage of the neo-noir lighting of Las Vegas at night, and most of the events that transpire are in this one car with these two characters was simplistic yet director Yuval Adler managed to keep this limited setting engaging. Reminded me a bit of that Tom Hardy 2013 drama Locke where he spends the entire movie driving his car and talking to folks on the phone. The script however is very weak, and the twist at the end of the film is extremely predictable, so the movie sorely relies upon its two central performances.

Luckily the two lead actors do solid work. Nicolas Cage is given yet another shot to give an unhinged crazy performance as the maniacal stranger, and he's given a physical makeover too with red dyed hair and a flashy red suit jacket. A lot of the film is spent on him giving out goofy line readings and monologues while rolling his googly eyes and being general Rage Cage. Joel Kinnaman brings vulnerability and humanity as the innocent driver who simply wants to get to the hospital to his wife who is giving birth to his third child. Kinnaman especially can be a very intimidating and strong presence as he's done before in The Suicide Squad as soldier Rick Flag, so seeing him here stripped down was definitely an interesting casting choice.

Overall Sympathy for the Devil is not particularly memorable, with there being no devil in the details of the script. However if you want another excuse to watch Nicolas Cage do his maddenic lunatic thing, then it will be an enjoyable 90 minutes to pass the time. Can't say I'm not a little disappointed - the trailer made the movie seem like much more of a deranged experience than what the final product turned out to be. Ah well, no sympathies for the devil this time around.

Overall score: 5/10

Sympathy for the Devil

directed by Yuval Adler, 2023

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL | Trailer, Image & poster

After being forced to drive a mysterious passenger at gunpoint, a man finds himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse where it becomes clear that not everything is at it seems.

[L-R] - Nicolas Cage and Joel Kinnaman in the thriller, SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL, an RLJE Films release. Photo courtesy of RLJE Films.

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL is directed by Yuval Adler, screenplay by Luke Paradise, and starring Nicolas Cage and Joel Kinnaman.

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL only in theaters July 28th, 2023, from RLJE Films.

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL Official Trailer

Dir: Yuval Adler Star: Nicolas Cage / Joel Kinnaman

Sympathy for the Devil (2023) Date de sortie : en Post-Production Réalisateur : Yuval Adler Scénario : Luke Paradise Avec : Nicolas Cage, Joel Kinnaman, Kaiwi Lyman

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL:

Husband held hostage

By a red haired maniac

Collateral Cage

Joel Kinnaman as David "The Driver" in Sympathy for the Devil (2023).

Ele não é o que parece! Nicolas Cage surtado em "Sympathy for the devil", 2023

Sympathy for the Devil will be released on Steelbook 4K Ultra HD on November 14 via RLJE Films, so you may want to hold off on the Blu-ray that drops today.

The 2023 psychological thriller stars Nicolas Cage and Joel Kinnaman. Yuval Adler (The Operative, The Secrets We Keep) directs from a script by Luke Paradise.

Special features are listed below, where you can also see more of the Steelbook artwork.

Special features:

Interviews with actors Nicolas Cage, Joel Kinnaman, and Kaiwi Lyman, director Yuval Adler, and producer Allan Ungar

After being forced to drive a mysterious passenger (Nicolas Cage) at gunpoint, a man (Joel Kinnaman) finds himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse where it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems.

Pre-order Sympathy for the Devil.

Sympathy For the Devil