Nicolas Cage is egotistical, out of touch, and so socially awkward that it seems almost absurd that a movie parodying him and his career could be so good – it’s seemingly dumb comedy a façade for its well-thought lunacy.

I wouldn’t consider myself to be the biggest of Nic Cage fans. His canon of work, to put it tamely, is wide and varied; one second the extravagant actor is winning an Oscar for his visceral alcoholic performance in Leaving Las Vegas, twenty years later he is starring in Willy’s Wonderland, a (alleged) Five Nights at Freddie’s parody where Chuck E. Cheese-esque animatronics come to life in typical b-horror fashion. There is an admirability to it as no role seems beneath Cage, originally a Coppola who changed his name to avoid the name’s prestige and nepotistic traits – a gravy train I would have ridden all the way to the top.

But Cage’s reputation is that of the crazed celeb, a star who lost touch with the common man many years ago as he indulges in the many self-obsessed thoughts that accompany fame. At first glance, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is exactly that: playing himself, Cage has become Hollywood’s court jester, losing both family and finances as his career begins to plummet. To solve his debt, he begrudgingly accepts a guest appearance at a birthday party in Mallorca for his super rich super fan Javi (Pedro Pascal). But, when given a chance, it is so much more than the normal Nic Cage disaster – a film that doesn’t require religious levels of self-convincing to be enjoyed.

For starters, the film isn’t the gimmick-focused flick I expected it to be. As Cage and Javi’s friendship begins to bloom, reference after reference is made as the billionaire shows off his eccentric collection of Cage memorabilia. These aren’t the lazy walk-on cameos Marvel have made so popular, rather they enrich the plot as the pair bond over the love for cinema and, more specifically, Nicolas Cage. It is self-aware rather than self-absorbed, the gags hilarious because of their ability to be laughed at rather than laughed with. Even when Cage does quote himself, mentioning the infamous “Not the bees” line, it is mocking the absurdity of it instead of trying to play it off as ‘cool’.

However, the biggest surprise is Cage himself, perfectly portraying the crazed and often incoherent celebrity. He is funny, diving deep into the role as so many gags poke fun at his antics; he is emotional, his relationship with his family stereotypical with an engaging flair; he is cool, turning into a fumbling spy as the film transitions into an action flick – a necessity for any Nic Cage production. Enhancing his crazy performance is Pascal, the pair having all the hallmarks of a great bromance duo as their chemistry dominates every scene. Even when bullets start flying and cars start chasing, the odd coupling remains vibrantly intimate, each of them finally finding the best friend they always wanted.

There are a handful of missteps that ruin the paradoxical immersion, namely a few jarring edits that clearly use mismatched takes as Cage walks around the same corner several times. But I can’t help but think that I am beginning to feed into the cult-following, claiming that these mistakes are actually artistic choices. I doubt it, but then I think about how the film opens: two stoners sharing a joint as they watch an old Cage flick, praising the actor for his performance. And then I think on all the moments Cage and Javi, while writing a film together, write the same film I’m watching beat for beat. Can it be that poignant that it makes mistakes intentionally? Is this what it means to be a Cage fanatic? If so, I’m starting to like it.