Dark

Oscar winner Nicholas Cage flounders in this Paul Schrader (Affliction/Hardcore) vehicle from 2014 which follows the decline of a CIA operative's career (he's starting to show cognitive decline) as he tracks down a terrorist who tortured him years before (we see the session at the start of the film) w/rumors swirling his perp is still alive. Getting the news he's soon to be put out to pasture, Cage commiserates w/a colleague, played by the late, great Anton Yelchin, & they formulate a plan to head to Europe since their target, Alexander Karim, who's also suffering from a degenerate affliction, needs attention from a doctor to administer an experimental drug on him w/Cage taking the place of the doctor which takes up the film's last third. Coming out during (& possibly still in the midst of) Cage's 'make any movie you can to satisfy my tax bills period,' the only reason I tuned in was for the cast (French actress Irene Jacob also shows up as a foreign contact of Cage's) but then when the credits rolled & seeing Schrader's name (which according to its Wiki link the final cut was taken away from him by the producers) my heart sank since the film's story is fairly conventional but usually Schrader can give it his gloss to make the film more palatable but here the low budget sabotages the scope of the story & even Cage's infinitive powers can't save this turkey.

Schrader has discussed openly of the difficulties he endured throughout post-production with the producers of Dying of the Light. That film was made in 2014 against the well wishes of Schrader's intent on how he wanted to make the film. The producers felt the need to make it a run-of-the-mill, linear and super hollow drama flick with another prime example of a horribly underutilized Nic Cage. While in realty what Schrader had in mind and how he had intended to use Cage is now showcased to us in this vindictive effort, released in 2017, called Dark.

Please take note that Schrader was highly limited with what he could use to edit and modify Dying of the Light since it was under copyright. But he did what he could and has given us an incredible film that takes your run-of-the-mill drama and turns it into an artsy, introspective look into the mind of an aging CIA agent who is slowly slipping into madness. The two films could really not be more different. We perceive Evan Lake as a totally endearing character here, instead of cold, as we are getting glimpses into his mind. The effects are probably simple but they work to great outcome.

Dark gives us an above average Cage performance with solid support from a gone-too-soon Anton Yelchin. Highly recommended for those who are fans of Schrader and Cage.