MOVIE NEWS – Nicolas Cage continues his journey through cinema’s most unhinged roles, this time diving into the world of westerns. But a Nic Cage movie wouldn’t be complete without the actor delivering either a career-defining emotional performance or a completely over-the-top, unhinged caricature. For his latest wild-west shootout, Gunslingers, Cage has, unsurprisingly, gone for the latter.

The first trailer for Gunslingers has finally arrived, and once again, Cage proves why he is the king of scene-stealing. Written and directed by Brian Skiba (Guns of Redemption), the film is set for release on April 11. Joining Cage in the cast are Heather Graham, Stephen Dorff, and Scarlet Rose Stallone. Cage plays a deranged mastermind named Ben, who finds himself in a town called Redemption, where old grudges are waiting to be settled. The official synopsis reads:

“When the most wanted man in America appears in a small Kentucky town, his violent past—and a mob hungry for vengeance and fortune—soon follow. As brothers turn against each other and bullets rip through the town, this lightning-fast gunslinger makes sure his enemies pay the ultimate price for their greed.”

The trailer makes it clear that blood will be spilled as Nic Cage, wearing his now-infamous sunglasses, storms into town at the heart of the action. If Cage performances were on a spectrum, with Adaptation being his most restrained and Vampire’s Kiss his most unhinged, Gunslingers seems to land somewhere around his chaotic brilliance in Face/Off. His portrayal of Ben is packed with exaggerated facial expressions, off-the-wall line deliveries, and absurd action moments.

Fans React to Gunslingers Trailer

As with any Nicolas Cage movie where he fully leans into madness, fan reactions have been wildly divided. YouTube comments under the trailer show a clear split. Some viewers are all-in on the insanity, calling it another delightfully campy B-movie in Cage’s catalog. “He always goes Full-Cage—never half-asses it, no matter the script, budget, or premise. I’m watching this!” wrote one excited fan. Others couldn’t get over Cage’s choice of sunglasses, with one commenter joking, “I guarantee Cage brought those glasses from home.”

However, not everyone is thrilled. Some fans are disappointed that Nicolas Cage seems to be taking a step backward after his recent streak of critically acclaimed roles. In the past few years, Cage has starred in movies like Dream Scenario, Arcadian, Pig, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and the upcoming Longlegs, all of which showcased his range beyond B-movie madness. “Just as Cage was pulling his career out of the gutter, they go and drag him right back in,” lamented one viewer. Others criticized the film’s seemingly low production value, despite its impressive cast, with one remarking, “This looks like a bunch of friends got together on a Sunday to make a low-budget western.”