Dying of the Light

Name: Dying of the Light
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Released: December 5, 2014
Duration: 94 min
Rating: 31

2014

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Generally unfavorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 33 Ratings

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3.1	User Score Generally unfavorable reviews based on 33 Ratings

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Dying Of The Light

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Movie Details & Credits

Lionsgate Home Entertainment | Release Date: December 5, 2014 | R

Summary: Evan Lake (Nicolas Cage), a veteran CIA agent, has been ordered to retire. But when his protégé (Anton Yelchin) uncovers evidence that Lake's nemesis, the terrorist Banir (Alexander Karim), has resurfaced, Lake goes rogue, embarking on a perilous, intercontinental mission to eliminate his sworn enemy.

Director: Paul Schrader

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller

Rating: R

Runtime: 94 min

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Critic Reviews

Ben Kenigsberg

Dec 4, 2014

The notion of an undercover agent with an untrustworthy mind is a great gimmick — and on a commercial level, Dying of the Light sometimes plays as just another high-concept vehicle for a comically overacting Mr. Cage. But Mr. Schrader’s vision is strong enough to rage against the hackier calculations. Read full review

IndieWire Eric Kohn

Dec 1, 2014

While its bleak assessment of American intelligence operatives imbues the story with some modicum of topicality, the specifics never keep pace. The movie becomes a bland action-drama lacking the sophistication to deal with its weightier themes. As a promising endeavor hacked to pieces, the movie's fate mirrors its anti-hero's own failed ambition. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Matt Zoller Seitz

Dec 5, 2014

If only Dying of the Light had broken Schrader's recent close-but-no-cigar streak. Read full review

Stephanie Zacharek

Dec 2, 2014

It's sort of a fascinating mess, a jagged, dark jumble of a thing anchored by Cage's anguished, moony-eyed obsessiveness. It's not bad enough to be fun, but maybe just bad enough to be intriguing. Read full review

David Ehrlich

Dec 4, 2014

A legendary director’s unsullied cut of Dying Of The Light would almost certainly be more interesting than the version the studio is dumping into theaters, but it might have been a lot sadder, too. Read full review

Joe Dziemianowicz

Dec 3, 2014

The irony is that in the low-key but mildly absorbing “Light,” Cage comes close to making it work. Read full review

The Playlist Kevin Jagernauth

Dec 1, 2014

The Dying Of The Light is forgettable, anonymous and at times almost amateur, and the product of a director searching for a new method of storytelling. Read full review

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User Reviews

imasna

Aug 30, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie seems to be hated by the professionals . I,however, find the movie to be full of though provoking subjects. A person with dementia does not blow up right away unless feeling threatened, it builds until that one thing happens that causes the condition to be overpowering. Mr. Cage plays the part very well, and gives food for thought, what does our government do with persons with many secrets of National security with this type of disease? Do they set up an accident? Victim of "random" violence, lock them away for "security reasons"? This film deserves a higher rating due to the food for thought content that is obviously overlooked by persons wishing to JUST be entertained! This movie is more than that, so much more. Plus are the "protege", and associate real? This movie left me trying to guess. AFTER ALL he is suffering and declining from his illness quickly.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Tss5078

Jul 12, 2017

Evan Lake (Nicholas Cage) was a legend at the C.I.A., but after years in the game, and a particularly horrible experience at the hands of the Taliban, he was diagnosed with dementia, and forced into retirement. Lake is moving on with his life when new information comes to light, that his oldEvan Lake (Nicholas Cage) was a legend at the C.I.A., but after years in the game, and a particularly horrible experience at the hands of the Taliban, he was diagnosed with dementia, and forced into retirement. Lake is moving on with his life when new information comes to light, that his old nemesis, a terrorist leader long believed dead, is back. Knowing their best chance to catch him is Lake, they turn to him for help, but can he keep it together long enough to complete his mission? This unbelievably was a b-movie, yet a remarkably strong performance for Nicholas Cage, who randomly had to go between C.I.A. legend and confused old man. His performance is aided by the late Anton Yelchin, playing an analyst who admires Lake so much, that he goes against orders to help him with his mission. The whole dynamic between the man at the end of his career on his last mission, and the boy at the start of his career on his first mission, really added something different, that you don't typically see in espionage films. Dying of The Light really does have a lot to like about it, but one must remember, it is an espionage film and a direct-to-video one at that. The writing isn't spectacular and parts of it are more than somewhat confusing. They also throw in a lot of Evan's flashbacks and delusions at the completely wrong times, which really did start to bother me as the film got more intense. Overall, I did enjoy this film, I thought the acting was terrific, and I loved the dynamic and chemistry between the two leading men, despite the obvious age difference. Dying of The Light certainly isn't a perfect movie, but it's still an entertaining one.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Meth-dude

Jan 21, 2018

The acting wasn't particularly good, the story wasn't very original, the movie was predictable and it looked rather cheap. While this isn't the worst recent Nicolas Cage film, it certainly isn't one of the best.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Alpacalypse

Mar 31, 2015

I'm sorry, but I laughed my ass of when I saw the title. All I could think of was Dying Light (the game, lads) and how much better it was compared to this **** 2/10, because Nick Cage makes it hard not to laugh. At.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

TomMonday

Dec 13, 2022

This film was edited, mixed, scored without the director’s approval. Cage and Yelchin disavowed the movie. So what you’re watching is a bunch of dumbass producers assembling a bonehead cut of the picture – like Guy Fieri trying to cook at a four-star French restaurant. Schrader released hisThis film was edited, mixed, scored without the director’s approval. Cage and Yelchin disavowed the movie. So what you’re watching is a bunch of dumbass producers assembling a bonehead cut of the picture – like Guy Fieri trying to cook at a four-star French restaurant. Schrader released his own cut of the movie called “Dark”, which you can find on Torrent sites and can be seen by request at the Museum of Modern Art (NYC). Oh yeah, and both this pic and the video game steal their title from an old Dylan Thomas poem, lines familiar to anyone who has watched Nolan’s Interstellar:

“Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MelancholicAlc

Apr 5, 2015

in the end, it's just a very bland film, with nothing outstanding. the action is so so, the tension is so so, the acting is okay, but it also lacks a hot young female. It's just a very straight story with no attention for intrige. It would have been better if we weren't immediately informedin the end, it's just a very bland film, with nothing outstanding. the action is so so, the tension is so so, the acting is okay, but it also lacks a hot young female. It's just a very straight story with no attention for intrige. It would have been better if we weren't immediately informed that the Bad Guy was still alive, or if we were really unsure if Lake was hallucinating, this would have made it more tense, challenging, interesting.
This was just very, very bland.Meh

~ The Melancholic Alcoholic.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

CommGhost

Mar 17, 2015

The worst film i have seen in 5 years,
Don't get me wrong once upon a time Cage was great, after this pile of garbage i doubt i will be rushing to see any more of his movies any time soon.
Do your self a favour don't bother

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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