4 Years On, This Underrated Drama is the Best Nic Cage Movie Nobody Watched

Nicolas Cage’s turn as a John Wick-style character in 2021’s Pig went more or less unnoticed, despite being one of his best performances. While Nic Cage is one of Hollywood’s most notable and bankable stars, he has also been known to take on roles in smaller and more intimate independent movies. This includes his role of truffle-hunter and former Portland chef Robin “Rob” Feld in Pig, who seeks vengeance on criminals who kidnapped his prize foraging pig while revisiting the past he’d tried to forget.

Nicolas Cage’s roles in the likes of Leaving Las Vegas, Adaptation, Moonstruck, and more have earned him a number of accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, to name a few. It hasn’t just been his high-profile and higher-budget projects that have earned him recognition, however. Before Cage suits up as Spider-Man Noir in Sony’s Spider-Noir series, it’s worth looking back at one of his strongest performances to date – one that shockingly flew under the radar.

Pig Features One of Nicolas Cage’s Best Performances to Date

Developed by Michael Sarnoski on a shoestring budget of only $3 million, Pig premiered in July 2021, and quickly became a quiet smash-hit for the sophomore director and lead actor Nicolas Cage. With 272 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, Pig holds an impressive 97% critic score, and the movie won an Independent Spirit Award while also earning Cage his second Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Actor nomination, following Leaving Las Vegas in 1996. Pig tells a grounded, raw, and oddly-beautiful narrative that fits Cage’s increasingly-indie style perfectly.

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In Pig, Cage stars as Rob Feld, a once-renowned chef from Portland who moved to the wilderness following his wife’s death, where he became a truffle-hunter, selling exclusively to Amir (Alex Wolff). When he is attacked and his foraging pig is kidnapped, Rob and Amir travel to Portland to track down the criminals responsible – a storyline reminiscent of Keanu Reeves’ mission to seek vengeance for his dog’s murder in John Wick. Cage’s version of this tale might seem more outlandish, but he delivers a gritty, emotional, and compassionate performance.

During conversation with Awards Watch in 2022, Cage explained more about Pig and his admiration for the down-to-Earth movie. “It was more of a return to performances that I had previously explored in movies like Joe or Birdy,” Cage notes, “why not try it?” Pig fits in the an unusual period of Cage’s filmography alongside the likes of Mandy, Color Out of Space, and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, pushing his own boundaries while experimenting with the medium of film itself. Pig stands alone, however, as one of Cage’s most intense, poignant, and heartfelt performances.

Despite Its Success, Pig Is Still A Little-Known Nicolas Cage Movie

Nicolas Cage might have revealed that 1989’s Vampire’s Kiss is his favorite Nic Cage movie while speaking to Awards Watch, but the acclaimed actor has previously lauded Pig as one of his greatest projects. Despite his love for the movie, and Pig’s immense critical success, the movie has still gone more or less unnoticed. This is evident in its box office intake, which totalled only $4.6 million, perhaps so small due to the movie’s limited theatrical release and select screenings globally.

During a WIRED Autocomplete Interview in April 2022, Cage commented that Pig is, indeed, his favorite Nic Cage movie. “I thought it was like a folk song,” notes Cage, “I felt that in that movie, I had become seasoned, and I had entered the room.” The grounded textures of Pig, its believable and intimate narrative, and the project’s striking visual style mean it’s surprising it didn’t bring in more revenue. Of course, box office isn’t everything, and the remarkable response to Pig among critics and audiences alike proves it’s one of Cage’s best.

Pig has been celebrated as not only one of Nic Cage’s best movies, but also one of the best films of the 21st Century so far. Putting Cage’s talent and range front-and-center, Pig is a masterclass of responsive acting, meaningful quietness, and screen presence, proving why Cage became such a beloved actor to begin with, and stressing the importance of independent cinema in today’s climate. It would be a mistake for any fan of Nicolas Cage’s to miss out on Pig.

Have you seen Pig? What’s your opinion on this instalment in Nic Cage’s impressive repertoire? Let us know in the comments!