Edward Malus in The Wicker Man (2006)
Of all the movies that never needed to be remade, Robin Hardy’s 1973 film The Wicker Man was always near the top of the list. That being said, if a remake had to happen, Nicolas Cage was the obvious choice to take the lead role of Edward – a man desperately seeking answers in a mysterious and sinister place filled with people determined not to provide them.
The Nicolas Cage version of the film makes some changes to the plot. Where the original had Edward Woodward as a police officer investigating the disappearance of a young woman, Cage is trying to find his daughter who, according to his ex-fiancee, has gone missing. While these changes to the story personalize the situation a little more than the original film, the narrative still follows broadly the same plot, including the terrifying, murderous ending.
The film was largely ridiculed on release, and many lay at least part of the blame for that at the feet of Cage’s sizeable performance. As the tension – such as it is – mounts, Cage’s character becomes more distressed, more panicked and more hysterical. Despite those criticisms, the film has found a loyal base of fans since its release – for whom Cage’s performance is a particular highlight. Many fans favourite moments from the film include his questioning of numerous disturbing characters, punching one of them out while dressed as a bear and of course, screaming about the bees.