Nicolas Cage’s Slept-On Horror Thriller From 2024 Hits Hulu This Month

A highly entertaining Nicolas Cage movie came and went in theaters last year, failing to capture the attention that it deserved. Now, it’s getting another chance to find an audience with its move to a new streaming home.

It’s Jan. 24, Cage’s Arcadian will debut on the streaming platform Hulu. After first premiering at South by Southwest last year, the film had its wider release in theaters in April 2024. It earned less than $1 million before later getting a streaming release on Shudder and AMC+. It will soon be seen on the streaming charts if arriving on Hulu will finally get Arcadianwhich holds a 78% Certified Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, a boost in viewership and popularity.

Written by Michael Nilon and directed by Benjamin Brewer, Arcadian stars Cage as a father of two teenage boys (Jaeden Martell, Maxwell Jenkins) trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by ferocious creatures who attack at night. Cage’s performance in the film has drawn praise, though it may have been overshadowed by the success if Longlegs. That film, directed by Oz Perkins, featured Cage in a very different role as a freakish murderer, though it has also been touted as one of the actor’s best modern films. Cage has suggested that the film resonates with viewers in part because it reflects the real-life fears of what’s “happening in the environment.”

“The reason why Godzilla is so effective is because he’s a response to radiation and it was Japan’s way of processing what happened in Hiroshima and indoors,” Cage previously told Den of Geek about the film, referring to its post-apocalyptic setting. “I think that’s the case in this small movie. We’re talking about something that could happen and it is on people’s minds.”

“Working with Nic is a really collaborative experience,” Jenkins also said of getting the chance to work with Cage, per Digg. “What makes him so amazing is his collaboration and how prepared he is. He comes to set with an array of ideas — bringing in personal elements or coming in with just the most amount of energy you could possibly imagine. He’s really open to discussion about what the scene is, and he wants to find what the best possible version of the scene is. And he knows that comes out of collaboration. I’m really grateful that he took the time to really talk with us about every scene we did together.”

What’s Next for Nicolas Cage?

Cage is currently working on Spider-Blacka live-action series featuring the actor in the role of Spider-Man Noir — the character he voiced in the Spider-Verse franchise. He also has several upcoming films in the works, including a sequel to Face/Off in which he’s reportedly expected to appear in alongside John Travolta.

Arcadian starts streaming on Hulu on Jan. 24, 2025.

Source: Hulu