Nicolas Cage won an Oscar for Leaving Las Vegas in 1996, a seminal depiction of a man on a self-destructive path, all by his own hand. And then Nicolas Cage met the internet, and he became Nicolas Cage as we know him today. A permanent fixture of internet meme-dom and geekdom, Cage is soon heading into Dead by Daylight as a key character in a DLC expansion. What might Cage's performance or character be like? Well, he's given us plenty of potential looks throughout his career, from funny to irreverent to meta, and films like Leaving Las Vegas reveal his dramatic capabilities. A list then makes sense: the key movies to watch before the DLC drops.

Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022): Since Nicolas Cage is playing a character named after himself in Dead by Daylight, then what better choice for this list than a movie where Cage lampoons his own eccentricities as "Nick" Cage? Recruited by the CIA, Cage is forced to act out his movie roles in order to out someone claiming to be a super fan. It's utterly meta; imagining Cage sucked into Dead by Daylight's asymmetric cycle of life and death seems absolutely the right way to go.

Renfield (2023): If Nicolas Cage killing people and things in grotesquely funny ways sounds delightful (and in line with Dead by Daylight's killer/victims premise), Renfield is the perfect preview. Channeling the great Bela Lugosi—literally so in the intro flashback montage—Cage's take on Dracula is multifaceted, too. He carries the legacy of Christopher Lee (another iconic screen Dracula) and chews up the scenery alongside his victims. Delightfully R-rated, the blood rarely stops amid a tinge of meta-humor.

Mandy (2018): Stuck in an isolated forest, Cage lives a serene woodsman's life with his girlfriend until a cultist summons demons to kidnap her. Cue Cage at his most intense: stabbing, cutting, and slashing through everyone in his way, with screams galore. Hardly a scene passes without dollops of blood splashed on Cage's face, but unlike Renfield's blood-sucking and spewing geysers, Mandy is somewhat more subdued. Somewhat—that's the keyword. Regardless, Cage can do violence. Lots of it, too.

Kick-Ass (2010): Known as "Big Daddy," Cage's hilariously ambivalent anti-hero father figure spends most of Kick-Ass encouraging his early teenage daughter to murder everyone. Teaching her hardcore hand-to-hand and weapons-based combat, Cage becomes giddy at his daughter's victories, smiling as he revels in her actions. Imagine Cage like this in Dead by Daylight, glorifying his bloodied existence as he tries to survive every day. Seems like a perfect fit.

G-Force (2009): While Cage is apparently playing himself (or some version thereof), it's important to consider he's still voice acting. This isn't Cage's only voice acting role—having played Superman in Teen Titans Go to the Movies and Spider-Man Noir in Spiderverse, among others—but it's way out of character even for Cage. In G-Force, he plays a mole, tagging along as the hacker archetype for a group of superhero guinea pigs. An obvious twist lets Cage play and build up to the cliché swerve, and he goes all-out by the end. It's a goofy movie designed for kids, but that doesn't change anything for Cage.

The Wicker Man (2006): One of the more internet-famous Nic Cage performances, this horror remake put Cage inside a wooden helmet full of bees, to which Cage infamously screeches: "Not the bees!" The movie is a total dud, but its pure Nic Cage zaniness is almost enough to save it. Sometimes, that's all a project needs.

Lord of War (2005): As international arms dealer Yuri Orlov, Cage is perfectly cast as a man without empathy and, because of it, a man without any wants. Cage's Orlov only shows emotion when needed, a man strictly about business, concerned only with slick dealings in an illegal trade. In a everyone-for-themselves multiplayer game like  Dead By Daylight, that's the surest attitude to claim victory, assuming anyone really wins in a time loop based on death.

8MM (1999): Cast as a detective trying to find out whether a cruel snuff film is authentic, 8MM is emotionally brutal, but it's a great case for Cage's somber side. In facing a grueling challenge, Cage properly shows utter disgust, which reflects 8MM's own unsettling vibes. Again, in a game about certain death, seeing Cage stare down a reality he wants no part of seems awfully appropriate. It’s ugly, grisly, and nasty, the perfect scenario to test the tonal waters before Dead by Daylight.

Face/Off (1997): While it's possible to make a Nicolas Cage list of any kind that misses a few movies on this list, it's  certain that Face/Off deserves to land on all of them. As villain Castor Troy, Cage has some of the most fun of his career, oozing despicable thoughts and ideas in a ludicrous face-swap concept that should sink any credibility. But Cage and co-star John Travoltaplay a near-perfect mimic, enough to convince anyone this is somehow possible, but they never let the tone sink too deep and ruin the fun. No matter what direction Cage takes in Dead by Daylight, Face/Off has it covered. 

Con-Air (1997): Imagine Cage winning a Dead by Daylight round: swinging his overlong hair through the wind, beaming with that unmistakable Hollywood smile. That's the most memorable scene in the kitschy Con-Air, which finds the actor recently paroled, but trapped on a plane full of criminals seeking to take control of the aircraft. Into heroic mode goes Cage, putting into motion one of the purest action cinema spectacles of the '90s.

The Rock (1996): Few actors had such an indelible action movie touch as Nicolas Cage in the '90s, and The Rock is among the best. Playing the awkwardly named chemist Stanley Godspeed, Cage pairs up with Sean Connery to stop a crazed general from unleashing poison gas on the West Coast. If it’s kitsch value Dead by Daylight wants from Cage, this is a great reference point. From quoting Elton John's Rocket Man before firing a literal rocket toward his foe, or angrily shouting, "Cut me some friggin' slack!" when he realizes what he's involved with, The Rock is pure Cage-y joy.

It Could Happen to You (1994): Cage has a few romantic films on his resume, this one included here for its lighter, wackier tone, which is suitable for a game that will likely focus on Cage’s camp value. Loosely based on a true story, Cage wins over a waitress (Bridget Fonda) by promising her a share of lottery winnings—if he wins, that is. Predictably, he does. For a movie based almost entirely on a fairy tale-esque romance—the stuff of pure Hollywood—Cage inserts a jolt of energy that carries the material.

Vampire's Kiss (1988): Cage is easily the best part of this good/bad comedy, but it's among his least-mentioned "Cage" performances. After being bitten by a woman, Cage becomes convinced that he's turning into a vampire even eating a genuine live cockroach (not a prop) at one point. Behind the scenes, to prepare for a romantic scene with Jennifer Beals, he had warm yogurt poured on his toes (really). As the story goes, numerous scenes were deleted by the studio, including several that Cage believes were among his best work. They've never been seen, but maybe he'll recall a few for his part in Dead by Daylight.