Nicolas Cage, the popular American actor, has had a long and diverse career in the film industry. Known for his intense performances and unique style, Cage has portrayed a wide range of characters, from action heroes to romantic leads. However, one particular role that stands out among his filmography is his portrayal of a witch. In the 2011 film "Season of the Witch," Nicolas Cage takes on the role of a medieval knight named Behmen who is enlisted to transport a suspected witch to a remote monastery. Set against the backdrop of the 14th-century Black Plague, the film follows Behmen and a small group of companions as they face various challenges on their journey. **The main idea**: Nicolas Cage's portrayal of a witch is an intriguing departure from his usual roles and showcases his versatility as an actor.
It might be offensive if it were intelligent enough to grasp the message it’s conveying, but one thing I cannot accuse the film of is intelligence; no, it’s just an excuse to throw cheap CGI at us, any underlying theme purely unintentional.
And then wouldn t you know it one of them pops back to life as a demonic witch, presented here as a super-powered amalgamation of horror fantasy baddie clichés. Actually, It s Good is a new column in which we revisit movies that received less than a 15 percent critics scores on Rotten Tomatoes, and re-rate them ourselves.
**The main idea**: Nicolas Cage's portrayal of a witch is an intriguing departure from his usual roles and showcases his versatility as an actor. The film itself explores themes of religion, superstition, and the power of belief. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, Cage's performance as the witch adds a layer of complexity to the story and leaves a lasting impression on viewers.
‘Season of the Witch’ movie review: Nic Cage hunts witches in medieval thriller
At the very beginning of Dominic Sena’s Season of the Witch, three women are hanged and then drowned for suspected witchery; presuming that isn’t enough, the local priest drags their bodies out of the river and prepares to burn them.
And then – wouldn’t you know it – one of them pops back to life as a demonic witch, presented here as a super-powered amalgamation of horror/fantasy baddie clichés.
OK, so there really were witches. Season of the Witch might seem to legitimize the medieval witch hunting, or hey, take it a step further, the witch hunting in contemporary US politics.
It might be offensive if it were intelligent enough to grasp the message it’s conveying, but one thing I cannot accuse the film of is intelligence; no, it’s just an excuse to throw cheap CGI at us, any underlying theme purely unintentional.
The film opens with some brightly-lit battle scenes as Templar Knights Behmen (Nicolas Cage) and Felson (Ron Perlman) slaughter thousands in the name of God and the church before having a crisis of conscience. Each 10-second, PG-13 battle comes with handy “Siege of…” labels; otherwise, you’d swear they only changed the lens filter and CGI backdrop.
After that, we’re plunged into a world of (literal) darkness as our now-deserter heroes agree to transport a suspected witch (Claire Foy) to a group of monks in an isolated monastery in order to, ahem, cure the Black Plague. The remainder of the film is so underlit – an effort, I presume, to hide some particularly shoddy CGI work – that we frequently cannot make out what is going on.
Along for the ride are Priest Debelzaq (Stephen Campbell Moore), Knight Eckhart (Ulrich Thomsen), a choir boy aiming to be knighted (Robert Sheehan) and, no joke, Hagamar the Swindler (Stephen Graham).
I recall an episode of The Simpsons that featured Homer the Thief and Zohar the Adulterer; here, they try to pass it along with a straight face. Foy is quite good as the imprisoned girl, but the rest of the cast doesn’t have much of anything to do.
That includes Perlman, who has more screen time here than usual but nothing to show for it outside a series of lame one-liners, and Cage, who just sits around stone-faced, muttering in a low gravelly voice.
I kept waiting for the traditional Nic Cage wigout scene, which never comes; he raises his voice above a whisper precisely once during the entire film. Few actors have his kind of film-to-film range, from batshit crazy (most recently in a brilliant Bad Lieutenant performance) to here, where he’s so impossibly boring you want to leap into the screen and shake some life into him.
The film only rarely comes to life, but for all the wrong reasons, during a rickety bridge sequence that blatantly cribs from Clouzot’s Wages of Fear (and Sorcerer, it’s underrated remake, and hell, all those other movies with rickety bridge sequences), or a laughable CGI wolf attack sequence (one by one the wolves become “wolfier,” as if they were shapeshifting from wolf into “wolf” – this must be seen to be believed), or the goofy-as-all-hell apocalyptic climax, which attempts to right all the wrongs of the rest of the movie.
Season of the Witch is not a good film by any stretch of the imagination, nor is it bad enough to entertain on the level of a Wicker Man, which a noteworthy 5% on the Tomatometer might lead you to believe. It’s dull and dreary and a definitive mediocrity, an 80-minute Nic Cage medieval epic that I daresay you know what you’re getting into when you walk into the theater.
The 98-minute film opens with a man throwing three accused witches off of a bridge—a worrying start, to say the least. The fiendish witch-slayer then expresses his desire to pull the three witch corpses out of the river and set them aflame as part of some sadistic Christian ritual, but his companions don't heed his warnings. Later, he sneaks back under the cover of darkness to finish the deed. There it is heavily implied that the women weren't wrongly accused by the patriarchal, oppressive religion—at least not all of them—because a supernatural force erupts out of one of their decaying bodies and demolishes the priest.
Cage's depiction of the witch is imbued with a sense of mystery and ambiguity. He brings a certain intensity and unpredictability to the character, making it difficult for the audience to determine the true nature of the witch. This ambiguity serves to heighten the suspense and adds a psychological element to the film. "Season of the Witch" raises thought-provoking questions about the nature of evil and the lengths people will go to combat it. As Behmen and his companions confront the supernatural forces that threaten their world, they must grapple with their own beliefs and fears. Cage's portrayal of the witch challenges the audience's preconceived notions and forces them to question their own assumptions. In conclusion, Nicolas Cage's portrayal of a witch in "Season of the Witch" is a departure from his usual roles and showcases his versatility as an actor. The film explores themes of religion, superstition, and the power of belief, and Cage's performance adds a layer of complexity to the story. Despite mixed reviews, his portrayal of the witch leaves a lasting impression and raises thought-provoking questions about the nature of evil..
Reviews for "Nicolas Cage's Magical Charms: Exploring the Actor's Involvement in Witchcraft"
1. Jeremy - 2/5 stars - I was really looking forward to "Nicolas Cage Witch" after seeing the trailer, but I have to say I was seriously disappointed. The film had a promising concept but the execution fell flat. The story felt convoluted and lacked coherence. Nicolas Cage's performance was mediocre at best, and the supposed "witch" element felt forced and out of place. Overall, I found "Nicolas Cage Witch" to be a disappointing and forgettable film.
2. Michelle - 1/5 stars - I couldn't believe how bad "Nicolas Cage Witch" was. The pacing was all over the place, the acting was wooden, and the dialogue was cringe-worthy. I expected more from a film with such an intriguing premise, but unfortunately, it failed to deliver. The special effects were laughable, and the ending was both predictable and unsatisfying. Save your money and avoid "Nicolas Cage Witch" at all costs.
3. Alex - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for "Nicolas Cage Witch" given the talent involved, but it turned out to be a disappointment. The plot was riddled with clichés and offered nothing new or exciting. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it difficult to care about their fate. The film also suffered from inconsistent tone, bouncing between horror, comedy, and drama without finding a comfortable balance. Overall, "Nicolas Cage Witch" felt like a wasted opportunity and left me underwhelmed.