Pay the Ghost (2015): Going Out on a Low Note [Joey’s Review]
After 76 films and 78 recorded podcasts, we’ve finally completed Phase One of #CageClub. While there have been exceptions (hello, JOE!), many of Cage’s most recent films have been less than stellar, and pale in comparison to the films he made when he captured our hearts, minds, and imaginations. While I’d love to say that PAY THE GHOST bucks that trend and offers up a fine way to cap Phase One off, I can’t. It’s not his worst film in recent memory, but it’s a clichéd attempt at a horror film.
And that’s frustrating! Cage hasn’t dabbled much in the horror genre in his career, with the only films that even remotely fall into the genre are 8MM and THE WICKER MAN. It’s one of my favorite genres, which is why it’s frustrating that Cage has avoided it for the most part up to this point. Pay the Ghost wants to be the most true-to-the-genre horror film in his filmography, and while it kind of succeeds, it’s also not very good in general.
It runs into the same problems we’ve been seeing in just about every one of Cage’s straight-to-DVD movies — a poorly written/absent lead female character and shoddy storytelling filled with clichés. There’s a possibility for greatness here — the first chunk of the film is mostly pretty great, and the end has some cool visuals. But when your middle hour is lacking and boring and overall uninspiring, it’s hard to overcome that.
I know Nicolas Cage has more terrific performances in him. I’m pretty genuinely excited for his slate of films in 2016, especially as at least of few of them are headed to theaters, rather than straight to home video. But as we wrap Phase One of #CageClub, it’s hard not to be a little disappointed by the current state of his career. With few exceptions, he’s still wholly dedicated to the cause in each of these movies; the problem is that the movies around him let him down time and again.
Sigh.
How can I watch it? It’s on Netflix.
What’s up next? We’ve got some bonus stuff coming in the next few months, but it looks like the next Cage film will be SNOWDEN when it releases in mid-May.
