Mar 22, 2019
Hi everyone!
Nicolas Cage. The man. The myth. The legend. The actor who will take any role, no matter what it seems, which leads to a huge spectrum of quality in his output. We’ve only covered two other Nicolas Cage films on the podcast so far, “Mom and Dad” (Episode #126) and “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (Episode #381), but would be open to any and all suggestions from you all at onemoviepunch.com or by reaching out over social media.
Okay, you ready for the review Andrew? Andrew? Come on, you said you would review it. That’s it! That’s the spirit!
Take it away, Andrew!
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Hello film fans!
Andrew here - back this week with a film that was practically engineered for Fantastic Fest audiences... and maybe no one else. The critic score on Rotten Tomatoes clocks in at just 32% on this one. The audience score? Well that’s another story. A robust 94% of the 500+ users that rated the film gave it a thumbs-up. So it makes perfect sense that this film stars a one-time A-lister who pumps out film after film reviled by critics and beloved by his fans, none other than Nicolas Cage. Take a journey through his IMDb credits over the last 10 years and you’re likely to find a dozen or more films you’ve never heard of.
Lately, Cage has been on somewhat of a hot streak with the campy terror of “Mom and Dad”, the cult-hit juggernaut “Mandy” (which admittedly did nothing for me), and most recently lending his voice to Spider-man Noir in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse.” Given the sheer number of horrendous Nic Cage vehicles produced over the last decade with more than half a dozen currently filming or in post-production, I had to ask “Should I give this film a shot? Is Cage making nothing but great films these days?”
Sorry, Morgan Freeman, I no longer trust your judgment.
Today’s movie is “Between Worlds”, the English-language film produced in Spain by writer/director Maria Pulera. “Between Worlds” made its world premiere at the 2018 Fantastic Fest (where I avoided seeing it) purportedly to a standing ovation during the credits. The film stars Cage as down-on-his luck truck driver, Joe. (Don’t confuse this with Cage’s role as down-on-his luck forester Joe in the 2013 film called, um, “Joe”.) Joe rescues Julia, a woman with a connection to the spirit world played by Franka Potente, who enlists him to save the soul of her comatose daughter Billie (Penelope Mitchell). Unfortunately, a mishap occurs and they end up reviving Billie with the spirit of Joe’s deceased wife in control of her body.
We learn a couple of things very early on in this film: (1) Joe’s wife and daughter are deceased and (2) evidenced by the way he explains this fact to Julie minutes after meeting her, Cage was clearly given carte blanche to deliver his lines however he felt like.
Let’s have a listen.
She’s right. It is terrible. The story that follows makes about as much sense as that script reading. Obviously, Julie and Joe begin to fall for one another, but his wife, now possessing the body of Julie’s daughter, is jealous of this fact and a bizarre love triangle ensues. The film has inevitably drawn comparisons to David Lynch films with its tone and a cast of oddball characters, not to mention the music composed by Angelo Badalementi who scored “Twin Peaks” and “Mulholland Drive” for Lynch. Unfortunately, there is nothing enjoyable in this nonsense world. There are a number of scenes that will make you squirm, but not in a fun way.
What makes “Between Worlds” fantastic?
Nothing. It’s not. The core concept is ill-explained and the script is abysmal. The bowels of Netflix and Amazon Prime are full of junk like this film. The only difference is this production forked over a few extra bucks bringing in Cage to act crazy for a few weeks to secure wider distribution than it ever should have gotten.
“Between Worlds” (2018) is a trashy, otherworldly, psychosexual, supernatural thriller. Fans of “The Humanity Bureau”, “USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage”, and “Vengeance: A Love Story” (all of which are actual Nic Cage films that came out in the last 3 years) are sure to love this film.
Rotten Tomatoes: 32%
Metacritic: NR
One Movie Punch: 4.2/10
“Between Worlds” (2018) is rated R and is currently available on DVD and video-on-demand.
Come back next week when I’ll be reviewing “The Guilty”, the Danish thriller that just hit Hulu. In January, Jake Gyllenhaal was announced to star in the American remake of this film whose hook is that the entirety of the film is set in an emergency call center where a lone police officer must work to thwart a kidnapping. Come back next week and I’ll give you the 411 on this 911 story. I cannot believe I just said that. “Between Worlds” has broken my brain. I’m outta here.