‘Sympathy for the Devil’ Movie Review [Fantasia 2023]: Nicolas Cage Thriller Doesn’t Deliver
Photo from Fantasia International Film Festival
From Jeff Nelson
A driver (Joel Kinnaman) makes his way to the local hospital, where his wife is giving birth. His night turns into utter chaos when a mysterious passenger (Nicolas Cage) holds him at gunpoint, forcing him to drive to an unknown destination. A game of cat and mouse unfolds, where any unfortunate soul who crosses paths with this destructive pair will be at risk of losing their lives.
Yuval Adler's Sympathy for the Devil questions whether the dangerous passenger's motives are based in reality or delusion, as they travel from one location to the next. The driver has more than his life at stake, bringing up his family as his reason to live beyond this hellish evening. Luke Paradise's screenplay intriguingly interrogates our sympathy and how it manifests with fictional characters on the silver screen.
Cage brings a frenzied performance as the passenger, which wildly contrasts with Kinnaman's more grounded delivery. This thriller bounces between its serious set pieces with momentary blips of violence and comedic moments that embrace the campiness from Cage's delivery. He brings the film's most memorable scenes to the forefront, highlighting the passenger's crazed state that only heightens over the course of the story. Meanwhile, Kinnaman hits all of the character beats with ease, remaining a good scene partner for Cage.
Sympathy for the Devil swings for the fences with its performances, but this cat-and-mouse game falls short of the thrills it promises. Adler suggests some intriguing direction and perspective that doesn't have the chance to shine due to a flimsy screenplay that could have, and should have, pushed the envelope much further than it does.
Rating: 2.5/5
Sympathy for the Devil played at Fantasia 2023 on July 22nd, 2023. It hits theaters and everywhere you rent movies on July 28th, 2023.
