Nicolas Cage’s ‘Ghost Rider’ Films

One of my first memories as a child being introduced to comic books was a figure with a fiery skull and a motorcycle on fire. It was so different and scary and it grabbed my attention. I wanted to know more about Ghost Rider. I bought the Marvel character cards at the comic book shop just to have his card. And then I dove into the comics. I always leaned into horror when it comes to comics, novels, movies — you get the picture. They scared me, but I just kept coming back.

I’ve been to Comic-Con an ungodly amount of times. One thing that really stood out to me in 2006 that still stuck with me today was seeing Ghost Rider’s motorcycle on the main floor of Comic-Con. There was an upcoming live action movie starring Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze, as Ghost Rider. I was excited. I admit, when I saw the movie in 2007, I was disappointed. The horror element was not really hitting, and I didn’t come to appreciate Cage’s unique acting style just yet.

Then, in 2011, something no one asked for happened: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance released in theaters, with Nicolas Cage reprising his role, and this time the directors being the duo Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, who have a very unique and visceral style. They knew the assignment, and the horror elements hit. Ghost Rider was filmed like a scary demon and not a superhero. There were times he moved so oddly that it was unnerving. He reacted in antagonistic ways. He wasn’t there to save the day, he was there to personally send mortals to hell, and he loved it. I also came to appreciate Cage’s acting style. His ways of applying stage acting; to act for the audience in the back, just clicked with the tone of this film. The spirit of vengeance was raging inside Johnny Blaze for so long that it made him unhinged. It broke him. And it works so well.

Lucky for you, dear reader, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance has found its way on Netflix, and apparently it immediately became the fifth-most-watched movie on Netflix yesterday. Which clearly means — if you haven’t already watched it — you should this month, because why not? It is spooky season after all.