Joel Schumacher’s Unappreciated 8MM Starring Nicolas Cage

The late Joel Schumacher was a brilliant director who could jump around different genres and still make commercial films which felt very personal to his style and vision. He’ll probably always be best known for The Lost Boys, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, but his filmography is loaded with great movies. One of the director’s most unappreciated films is 1999’s 8MM.

8MM was Schumacher making amends for Batman & Robin, which came out the previous year. Written by Seven‘s Andrew Kevin Walker, the film follows Nicolas Cage‘s private detective as he attempts to discover if an 8mm snuff film is real. It’s pretty bleak stuff. 

Schumacher gave 8MM a grit and an edge that few Hollywood studio productions have and it sees Cage delivering one of his best and most nuanced performances. It also features strong supporting roles from Joaquin Phoenix and the late James Gandfolfini. 

Budgeted at $40 million, 8MM grossed $36.6 million at the US box office and $96.9 million globally when it was released in 1999.