Nicolas Cage has revealed his top recommendation from his movie career, stating which of the over 100 movies he’s starred in has been his favorite. Cage has had a versatile film career, starring in everything from comedies like Willy’s Wonderland and Adaptation, to more serious films like Bringing Out the Dead and Mandy. His newest movie is the upcoming horror film Longlegs, which will see him portray a terrifying serial killer. However, he’s starred in so many movies throughout his career that it can be difficult to decide where to start watching from.

Luckily, speaking with The New Yorker, Cage said his top recommendation from across his entire film career is the 2021 drama Pig. The actor explained how the film’s tragic story can resonate with a variety of audiences, especially those who have gone through horrible events in the past. Check out why Cage recommends Pig the most below:

Pig…. [I]t’s something that I think people can get something out of, because tragedy is going to hit all of us at some point. It’s just a matter of when. It’s also a movie that to me is like a folk song. It’s a very quiet, gentle movie, which is the opposite of what we started our conversation with—people thinking I’m crazy.

That I’m happy with, because I’d never done anything like that before, where I felt like I got close to putting a meditation on camera, or a haiku.

Why Pig Is The Perfect Starting Point For Nicolas Cage Movies

Even though it’s not the most well-known entry in Cage’s movie career, Pig is one of his more critically praised works, with the actor in an incredibly serious role as well. The movie follows the lead actor as Rob Feld, a truffle hunter and former chef who returns to Portland, Oregon after his prized foraging pig is stolen from him. What follows is a one-man rescue mission with a somber tone, emphasized by the thematic exploration of what the pig really means to him.

While the movie doesn’t reflect some of the wilder, more hilarious elements of Cage’s career, like Vampire’s Kiss or The Wicker Man, it does emphasize the trajectory his career has been on in recent years. In 2018, he starred in the action thriller Mandy, the praise the movie received soon bolstering him into even more critically acclaimed roles. While some of these movies like Butcher’s Crossing and Dream Scenario could be good starting points, Pig‘s tragic tale makes for a more emotionally resonant starting point.

Since many of Cage‘s upcoming movies seem like they’ll have the same serious tone as Pig, the film is a perfect gateway into the level of quality his career has been at in the last few years. While some of his older films, like Con Air and National Treasure, are considered classics in their own right, they aren’t fully reflective of where his future is heading. Because of this, his newer drama is a strong entry point that can get audiences used to seeing Cage in a more serious role.

Source: The New Yorker