Nicolas Cage’s Forgotten Thriller Gets Second Life On Netflix 11 Years Later

SUMMARY

The Frozen Ground starring Nicolas Cage recently made it to Netflix’s Global Top 10 with 3.4 million views.
The film only received a 61% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, struggling at the box office with a budget of $27.2 million.
Despite a lukewarm reception, The Frozen Ground ‘s resurgence on Netflix may be linked to increasing interest in Nicolas Cage.

The Frozen Ground has been given a new chance on Netflix as it reaches the Global Top 10. The Frozen Ground is a 2013 Nicolas Cage thriller wherein the actor plays an Alaska State Trooper who teams up with a young woman who escaped a serial killer in order to capture the murderer. In addition to Cage, the movie features a leading cast including Vanessa Hudgens, John Cusack, Dean Norris, Gia Mantegna, Robert Forgit, Brad William Henke, Michael McGrady, Katherine LaNasa, and Ryan O’Nan.

Now, The Frozen Ground managed to make it onto the Netflix Global Top 10. The Cage film came in at no. 7 on the chart for the week of May 6 through May 12, garnering 3.4 million views. Topping the list this week were Mother of the Bride at no. 1 (26.7 million views), Unfrosted at no. 2 (8.8 million views), Shrek at no. 3 (8.5 million views), and Barbarian at no. 4 (4.6 million views).

How Was The Frozen Ground Received?

It Came During A Rough Patch In Cage’s Career

The Frozen Ground is a largely forgotten title within the lengthy list of Nicolas Cage movies. His early 2010s era is better recognized for his work in films such as Kick-Ass (2010), The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010), and Joe (2013). The Frozen Ground also came during a time when he was in an overall slump in his career, as the actor took part in numerous poorly reviewed films, including Stolen, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Trespass, and Rage.

Nicolas Cage 2010s Movies
RT Critics Score
RT Audience Score

Kick-Ass (2010)

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010)
40%
53%

Season of the Witch (2011)
11%
30%

Drive Angry (2011)
47%
37%

Seeking Justice (2011)
28%
39%

Trespass (2011)
9%
22%

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011)
19%
31%

Stolen (2012)
17%
34%

The Frozen Ground (2013)
61%
50%

The Croods (2013)
72%
77%

Joe (2013)
86%
68%

Outcast (2014)
4%
22%

Left Behind (2014)
0%
19%

Dying of the Light (2014)
11%
15%

The Frozen Ground was no gem of Cage’s either, based on its 61% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 57 reviews. Audiences liked it less than critics, with only a 50% approval rating among viewers. The Frozen Ground struggled immensely at the box office. Failing to get wide distribution in the United States, it made only $5.6 million worldwide. This total paled in comparison to its budget, which came in at an estimated $27.2 million.

From Ghost Rider to Spider-Man Noir, Nicolas Cage has played a few comic book roles in his career. Here’s every Nicolas Cage superhero film ranked.

How Nic Cage’s Career Has Evolved Since The Frozen Ground

The 2020s Have Been Kind To Him So Far

Cage has possibly one of the most idiosyncratic careers of any major working actor today. On the one hand, he is a two-time Oscar nominee, winning in 1996 for the film Leaving Las Vegas. His early career was populated by this film as well as several other well-regarded parts, including in films like Adaptation (which gained him his second Oscar nomination) and the Coen Brothers’ cult classic film Raising Arizona.

Cage’s biggest recent career turn came by way of the 2021 film Pig .

From those strong beginnings, however, Cage’s career took a pronounced nose dive. The work surrounding The Frozen Ground is a challenging strip of the actor’s career. His 2014 film Left Behind, for example, received a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. He also had two other films get only single-digit scores in this 2010s era: Trespass (9%) and Outcast (4%). Given this huge slump, it seemed that Cage was making choices only for the money and disregarding the quality of his films.

He began to shift back to making more interesting films toward the end of the decade. In 2018 and 2019, the actor starred in Mandy and Color Out of Space, both of which earned him acclaim. Between these works, he still made a number of bad films, including Running with the Devil, Kill Chain, and A Score to Settle. Still, the actor was showing glimmers of good performances, something that had not been seen for the better part of decade.

Cage’s biggest career turn came by way of the 2021 film Pig. A quiet, subtle film wherein Cage plays a reclusive man who lives in the woods with his truffle pig, Pig showed Cage’s latent ability to shine in a nuanced, understated role. Save lines like the classic “I want my pig,” the movie is entirely low-key in its lead performance, which was a refreshing departure from the over-the-top goofiness of Cage’s action B-movies that made him hard to take seriously.

Why Is The Frozen Ground Getting Better Viewership Now?

Besides The Netflix Effect, Of Course

Given its low profile and lukewarm reception, it is somewhat surprising to see The Frozen Ground make the Netflix charts this many years later. Part of its success may be due to an increased interest in Cage. After Pig, Cage has gotten some great roles, including in last year’s Dream Scenario. Thus, those who have been turning to his films might be interested in exploring some of the actor’s older titles like The Frozen Ground, even if it is not his best work.

Cage’s career consistency is still not 100% the way it used to be, but he is still trending in the right direction. This year, the actor is starring in the shocking monster film Arcadian as well as Longlegs, two horror films that both look to deliver great Cage performances. Through films like these, Cage is slowly gaining back the respect of both mainstream and arthouse audiences. He has come a long way since flops like The Frozen Ground, a trend which the actor will hopefully continue throughout the next few years.