Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- paranoid
- propulsive
- violent
- late night viewing
- midnight movie
What critics said
Critics generally found the film effective as a compact, well-made thriller, especially because of Nicolas Cage's exuberant performance and his grounded chemistry with Joel Kinnaman, while acknowledging clunky storytelling.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Driver is forced to transport The Passenger at gunpoint, making the car the primary arena for the cat-and-mouse conflict.
The Passenger is described as relentlessly unhinged, violent, and theatrically over-the-top in Nicolas Cage's performance.
The story withholds the full meaning of the encounter and presents more than one mystery surrounding the two men.
A forced passenger pickup becomes a high-stakes confrontation involving coercion, violence, and concealed motives.
Films like Sympathy for the Devil, and why
The Hitcher
shared psychological thriller tension, confined vehicle setting, and escalating criminal menace
Face/Off
shared volatile criminal antagonism, stylized violence, and heightened performances
Blue Velvet
shared neo-noir atmosphere, sadistic menace, and morally destabilizing confrontation
Movie Details
- Director
- Yuval Adler
- Release Date
- 2023-07-20
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (355)
Cast
- Joel Kinnaman
- Nicolas Cage
- Alexis Zollicoffer
- Cameron Lee Price
- Oliver McCallum
- Rich Hopkins
- Kaiwi Lyman
- Burns Burns
- Nancy Good
- Danny Tesla
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Sympathy for the Devil about?
- A terrified driver trapped at gunpoint with a wildly unstable passenger races through a night of violence, secrets, and shifting control.
- What is Sympathy for the Devil like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Sympathy for the Devil as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Sympathy for the Devil violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Sympathy for the Devil as brutal.
- What did critics think of Sympathy for the Devil?
- Critics generally found the film effective as a compact, well-made thriller, especially because of Nicolas Cage's exuberant performance and his grounded chemistry with Joel Kinnaman, while acknowledging clunky storytelling.
- Which films are like Sympathy for the Devil?
- Films with a similar feel include The Hitcher, Face/Off, and Blue Velvet.
- How long is Sympathy for the Devil?
- Sympathy for the Devil runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch Sympathy for the Devil?
- In United States, Sympathy for the Devil streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+.
