‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ Climbs Netflix’s Streaming Chart

Released in 2022, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent was one of the riskier Hollywood projects to hit theaters after the pandemic wreaked havoc across the industry. The film featured Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal in a story that parodied the real-life Face/Off actor and paid homage to his lengthy filmography while poking fun, too. Unfortunately, it proved to be a box office flop, barely making back most of its $30 million budget with a $29 million worldwide box office gross. However, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent turned out to be a great comedy with more than enough to warrant a viewing, and it’s making big waves on streaming this year.

Per Flix Patrol, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent reached the number four spot on Netflix’s Top 10 streaming titles on the platform on Friday. Netflix is known for revitalizing films that otherwise went unnoticed during their theatrical run, and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is no exception. Moreover, critics and audiences universally loved the Cage-centric comedy, with both camps giving it an 87% Certified Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes upon its theatrical release.

In addition to Cage and Pascal, the cast of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent includes Sharon Horgan, Ike Barinholtz, Alessandra Mastronardi, Jacob Scipio, Lily Sheen, Neil Patrick Harris, and Tiffany Haddish. The film was directed by Tom Gormican (That Awkward Moment) based on a script from him and frequent collaborator Kevin Etten (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F), who are teaming up again for the upcoming Anaconda reboot starring Paul Rudd and Jack Black. Check out the official synopsis for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent:

“Nicolas Cage stars as… Nick Cage in the action-comedy ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.’ Creatively unfulfilled and facing financial ruin, the fictionalized version of Cage must accept a $1 million offer to attend the birthday of a dangerous superfan (Pedro Pascal). Things take a wildly unexpected turn when Cage is recruited by a CIA operative (Tiffany Haddish) and forced to live up to his own legend, channeling his most iconic and beloved on-screen characters in order to save himself and his loved ones. With a career built for this very moment, the seminal award-winning actor must take on the role of a lifetime: Nick Cage.”

A Hilarious and Heartfelt Action Comedy All About Nicolas Cage

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent could have easily been too meta for its own good. It’s a meta-comedy that often references Nicolas Cage’s past films, especially Face/Off and other beloved classics. The film is filled with Easter eggs, and much of its thematic weight rests on the audience being familiar with Cage’s work. However, it’s hard to argue against how The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent balances being a Cage-fest while managing to be an entertaining action comedy featuring another superstar in the making, Pedro Pascal.

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For most of its runtime, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent feels like an alternate timeline where Cage lost his touch at his late age (not the case in real life if you ask us) and constantly looks back at the peak of his career as a young, successful actor. There is an inherent earnestness to having Cage reflect on his filmography in such a goofy and surreal fashion, as well as reckon with the reality of an aging actor who continues to have a diehard fanbase. At some point, it seems the film would have been radically different if Cage had not signed up for it, but we’re very glad he did.

Release Date

April 22, 2022