Nicolas Cage has had some pretty wacky movie roles over the years.

Some have been critically acclaimed, while others have been panned by audiences and critics alike.

In this blog post, we take a look at 5 of his craziest movie roles ever.

From a motorcycling ghost to a publisher who think he's a vampire, Nicolas Cage has done it all!

5: Con Air

In Con Air, Cage plays Cameron Poe, an ex-con who is trying to turn his life around.

However, he finds himself caught up in a hijacking and is forced to outwit a plane full of dangerous criminals.

Cage's performance in this movie is unhinged and over-the-top (yes, even by his standards) but that's what makes it so great!

It's cheesy alright, but it's perfectly cheesy.

For all its over-acting and pop culture clichés, Con Air skilfully straddles a fine line: Just the right amount of cheesy that it's self-referentially hilarious, but with enough genuine cinematic merit to make it enjoyable—both ironically and ironically.

Put the bunny back in the box!

Craziness rating: ★ Above-average

4: Ghost Rider

Time to climb one notch up the crazy scale.

In Ghost Rider, Cage plays Johnny Blaze (the name says it all), a stunt cyclist who makes a deal with the devil.

As a result, he is transformed into the titular Ghost Rider, a skeletal vigilante who rides around on a flaming motorcycle.

I mean really, were any of us expecting the next Shawshank Redemption?

Cage's performance in this movie is once again ludicrously OTT... but there's something about his portrayal of the eponymous character we find strangely compelling.

Make no mistake, the role is pure Cage. But there are enough cracks in the overworked cheesiness to reveal a little—just a little—genuine vulnerability and emotional depth. And you have to wonder, is he actually doing this deliberately?

Is Nicolas Cage just a never-ending font of meme fodder? Or is he playing a game of 3D emotional chess while the rest of us are playing checkers? 

To the observant eye, we think Ghost Rider suggests the latter.

It's not one of Cage's most critically acclaimed movies, but it's definitely one of his most memorable.

Craziness rating: ★★ Warming up

3: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

If aliens were to visit earth and ask us "so what's the deal with this Nicolas Cage guy?" this is the movie we'd show them.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is an offbeat meta-comedy about Nicolas Cage (played by Nicolas Cage, obviously) who is desperately trying to land a role in a new Quentin Tarantino movie.

And nope, that's not a typo. Once again: This movie features Nicolas Cage playing Nicolas Cage.

And we're only at number 3.

As the movie progresses, we see Cage's character progressively unravelling as he tries to impress Tarantino and deal with his personal demons.

How much of this troubled story, we must ask, is a true reflection of the man behind the meme?

Cage gives an incredibly compelling performance in this movie, playing both himself and a fictionalised version of himself.

It's bizarre, self-indulgent, and downright insane at times—but it's also one of the most fascinating movies we've ever seen.

Craziness rating: ★★★ On fire!

2: The Wicker Man

*Deep breath*

Strap yourselves in, folks. This is about to get real.

The Wicker Man is a 2006 remake of the 1973 British horror classic of the same name.

It's a well-known story about Edward Malus, played by Cage—a police officer who travels to an isolated island community in search of a missing girl.

Malus soon discovers that the island's residents have some very strange customs... and things take a turn for the worse when he realises he's a sacrificial lamb.

Sound alright so far? Time out.

You see, the original Wicker Man was a HUGE hit.

And not just a huge hit—also a critically acclaimed hit. Few movies in the horror genre have been so universally celebrated, which begs the question: WHY on earth did this need a remake?

And not just a remake—a remake starring Nicolas Cage, of all people?

Depending on your point of view, the result is either a colossal disappointment or the best thing to happen to cinema since Con Air.

Just look at the memes.

Immortal lines like "how'd it get burned?" and (Lord help us) "NOT THE BEES!" are so t-shirt-worthy that they'll probably outlive Cage himself.

The myriad YouTube compilations of the movie's "highlights" showcase a level of overacting that makes Con Air look like a wildlife documentary.

An almighty IMDb rating of 3.7 ranks the film on par with The Room by Tommy Wiseau—a film so eminently bad that cult followers routinely pay good money just to throw plastic spoons at it during screenings.

Nick, you've outdone yourself.

Craziness rating:  ★★★★ Absolutely bonkers

1: Vampire's Kiss

The phrase "you have to see it to believe it" is used a lot these days.

In many cases, the cliché is used to describe things which are, in point of fact, quite believable.

And that's a shame.

Because in the case of this blistering tour de force of horror-comedy insanity, you really do have to see it to believe it.

Vampire's Kiss is a 1988 horror comedy starring Cage as Peter Loew, a yuppie New Yorker who slowly descends into madness after being bitten by a vampire.

And boy oh boy does he go all out.

The character starts off as your typical alpha male investment banker type—arrogant, womanising, and completely self-absorbed.

But as he becomes more and more obsessed with the idea of becoming a vampire, his behaviour becomes increasingly erratic.

And when we say erratic...

We're just going to leave this video here. It succeeds where words would fail.

I'M A VAMPIRE! I'M A VAMPIRE! I'M A VAMPIRE!

Craziness rating: ★★★★★★ Mr Cage, the men in white coats would like a word with you

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And now for the good stuff.

You'll notice that Shrek is conspicuously absent from this list. That's because, despite our best attempts to lobby the director, Nicolas Cage didn't actually star in Shrek.

But if he did... oh, if he did...

We'll let this throw pillow of Nicolas Cage as Shrek do the talking.

Until next time!