In the beginning of Sympathy for the Devil, there is the presence of a man with struggles which gives a vibe of noir direction. That approach gets the audience prepped for dangerous and unexpected moments. The famous saying, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” comes to mind as the unsettling tone in the film gets eerie. Sympathy for the Devil is different in the way it finds its terror because it is based on personalities and characterizations which add shock value instead of violence. Evil does reign, however, but is created through the film’s suspense.

The film focuses on The Driver (played by Joel Kinnaman). He has a wife that is in hospital and is due to have a baby. The Passenger (played by Nicholas Cage) gets into The Driver’s car. The Passenger asks The Driver to, “Pick a card,” and when a card is selected, The Driver becomes the new hostage of The Passenger. Viewers know there is going to be some unsettling moments when The Passenger scarily says to The Driver, “I’m your family emergency now!” Cage’s portrayal of the bad guy isenhanced with demonic looks and his attitude causes tensions to rise. The Passenger wants The Driver to drive him from Las Vegas to Boulder City, but there is no explanation to why. This means that The Driver’s life may be on the line. With The Driver being extremely anxious and scared for his life, it is literally as if the Devil has found The Driver. The Devil is Cage himself.

Ominous music plays in the background of this scary journey. The choice of music keeps thae noir vibe in tune and the horror feels more real as it deepens. Cage’s performance as The Passenger ranges from normal to condescending and vicious. The more he talks, the worse it gets. The farther they go, the worse the danger becomes. The Driver is put to the test of survival. Kinnaman’s role is one of perseverance and bravery, but it may not be enough to survive Cage’s role of mayhem and danger.

Cage’s outbursts are surreal and intriguing, which add to the suspense. His performance proves his evil side is no joke in Sympathy for the Devil. The chances of escape for The Driver are slim because he has no idea what The Passenger is capable of until he does something dangerous. Evil is real in Sympathy for the Devil. The tension is not only due to the wicked nature of Cage’s character, but also the stories he tells before each dangerous scenario which all contain something explosive.

In all honesty, there is no sympathy in Sympathy for the Devil. It is just a predictable flick. I do give it credit for bringing back some classic road trip vibes of horror. Otherwise though, the fascination in this film is not all that remarkable. Cage’s performance is the only real place that killer fun lies in this flick. Two out of four stars for Sympathy for the Devil.