Between Worlds is a 2018 supernatural thriller film starring Nicolas Cage, and directed by Maria Pulera. The film was released on December 21, 2018 by Saban Films, Rise Up and Voltage Pictures. Filming began at the end of August 2017. It was shot in Sweden and Alabama. According to director Maria Pulera, she initially wrote the film as a standard thriller, but later made it "a much more surreal drama in the vein of David Lynch".
Plot
The story follows Joe,, a down-on-his-luck truck driver haunted by the memory of his deceased wife and child. He meets Julie, a spiritually gifted woman who enlists Joe in a desperate effort to find the lost soul of her comatose daughter, Billie. But the spirit of Joe's dead wife Mary proves stronger, possessing the young woman's body while intending to settle her unfinished business with the living.
Between Worlds received mixed reactions. The film received a standing ovation during its premiere in Texas. On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 29% IMDb gives it 4.6 out of 10 Birth.Movies.Death.'s Leigh Monson wrote that: "Between Worlds is a weird-ass movie" and defining Cage's role: " a fascinating character to watch so that by the time the real insane shenanigans start up, they feel right in line with the foundation that Cage laid without losing their shock value". Heather Wixson from Daily Dead gave to the film a score of 3/5, calling it:" a beautifully bizarre experience that I really admired, and I’m excited to see where Pulera’s career goes from here". She also praised the cast, writing that "Cage, Potente, and Mitchell deliver a trio of striking performances that really add so much to the material ". Ron Wilkinson from It's Just Movies appreciated the film and gave to it a rating of 7 on 10, writing that:"it tells the story straight and makes use of genuine acting and plot instead of plugging in buckets of blood, sound crashes, fist fights and car chases to take up screen time", while Ain't it cool, in his good review, noted as: " this is a movie that warns things happen for a reason, and you can’t control the order of the universe without devastating consequences". Alexandra Heller-Nicholas from Alliance of Women Film Journalists wrote that: "Between Worlds is shrewdly cast and crackles with electric dialogue which its performers clearly relish. Between Worlds takes an outrageous premise and plays it comparatively straight, but its flagrant brandishing David Lynch collaborator Angelo Badalamenti’s soundtrack perhaps over-signifies the precise kind of ‘weird’ terrain Pulera is seeking to tap into" and also appreciated the opening credit sequence and Thomas Hencz's cinematography. The film gained good reviews from sites like Vanyaland, Ghastly Grinning, Nightmarish Conjurings and Cryptic Rock. The first site compared it to Twin Peaks. Other international articles expressed approval of Nicolas Cage's performance for engaging in a very risque on-screen romp with actress Franka Potente and calling it his raciest performance of his career. Other reviewers were not as complimentary. Cinemalogue's Todd Jorgenson wrote that: "There are a few moments of inspired lunacy, but for the most part, it's sluggish and tedious". Also the European critic reacted with mixed reviews, praising Cage's acting but criticising Pulera's direction.
