You remember that one movie where Nicolas Cage just... stares? Not the "I’m going to steal the Declaration of Independence" stare, but a quiet, puppy-dog, celestial longing kind of look.
That was City of Angels.
Released in 1998, it’s the Nicolas Cage angel film that basically defined a specific era of "weepy" 90s cinema. If you were around then, you couldn't escape the Goo Goo Dolls singing "Iris" on every radio station while Cage’s face hovered on bus stops in a long black trench coat. Honestly, it’s a weird movie when you look back at it. It’s sweet, sure, but also kinda creepy if you think about the logistics of an invisible man watching you take a bath.
What is City of Angels actually about?
The premise is pretty straightforward for a fantasy romance. Seth (played by Cage) is an angel in Los Angeles. He doesn't have wings or a halo. Instead, he and a bunch of other angels hang out in libraries and on top of billboards, wearing duster coats and listening to people’s thoughts.
They don't feel pain. They don't taste pears. They just are.
Everything changes when Seth watches a heart surgeon named Maggie Rice (Meg Ryan) lose a patient. She’s devastated, and Seth falls for her. Hard. He decides he’s tired of being a cosmic observer. He wants to feel the "touch" of a human, even if it means giving up eternity.
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The "Falling" mechanic
To become human, an angel has to "fall." In this movie, that’s literal. Seth has to jump off a building. It’s a leap of faith that turns his spiritual essence into flesh and blood. Suddenly, he can bleed, he can get hungry, and he can finally be with Maggie.
Why people still talk about the ending
Look, we have to talk about the ending because it’s one of the most polarizing "gut punches" in Hollywood history.
Spoilers for a nearly 30-year-old movie: Seth finally becomes human. He finds Maggie at a cabin in Lake Tahoe. They have one beautiful, romantic morning together. Then, Maggie goes for a bike ride, closes her eyes to feel the wind (terrible idea, honestly), and gets hit by a logging truck.
She dies.
Most people expected a "happily ever after." Instead, the movie argues that one day of being human—feeling the sun and the touch of someone you love—is worth more than an eternity of nothingness. Some viewers found it profound. Others, like many on Reddit today, find it absolutely infuriating. Why would he give up heaven just for her to die two hours later? It’s a brutal lesson in the fragility of life.
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The Wim Wenders connection (Wings of Desire)
If you’re a film buff, you probably know that City of Angels isn't an original story. It’s a remake of a 1987 German film called Wings of Desire (Der Himmel über Berlin), directed by the legendary Wim Wenders.
The original is a masterpiece. It’s shot mostly in black and white to represent how the angels see the world—devoid of the "color" of human emotion. When the angel becomes human, the film switches to color. It’s poetic, philosophical, and set in a divided Berlin.
Hollywood took that high-art concept and turned it into a high-gloss romance. While Wenders' film was about the soul of a city, the Nicolas Cage angel film is very much about the chemistry between two movie stars. It’s "watered down" for sure, but it hit a nerve with American audiences that the original never could.
That legendary 90s soundtrack
You can't mention City of Angels without the music.
The soundtrack was a monster. It stayed at the top of the Billboard 200 for weeks.
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- "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls: This song was written specifically for the film. It’s arguably more famous than the movie itself now.
- "Uninvited" by Alanis Morissette: A haunting, brooding track that captured the "supernatural" vibe perfectly.
- "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan: Yes, the song from the sad dog commercials. It actually started here.
The music did a lot of the heavy lifting. It created an atmosphere of "soulful yearning" that helped mask some of the cheesier dialogue.
Is it actually a good movie?
It depends on who you ask.
Critics at the time were lukewarm. Roger Ebert gave it three stars, praising the performances but noting it lacked the "visual poetry" of the original. On Rotten Tomatoes, it sits at a "Rotten" 58% from critics, but the audience score is much higher at 82%.
Nic Cage gives a very "internal" performance. It’s before he became the "mega-acting" meme we know today. He’s soft-spoken, still, and uses his eyes to convey everything. Meg Ryan is at the height of her "America's Sweetheart" era. Together, they make the central romance feel earned, even if the plot is a bit thin in the middle.
Notable Cast Members:
- Andre Braugher as Cassiel: Seth’s angel best friend. He brings a lot of gravitas to the "celestial" scenes.
- Dennis Franz as Nathaniel Messinger: A patient who turns out to be a former angel. He’s the one who teaches Seth how to "fall." He provides the much-needed humor in a very serious movie.
What you should do next
If you haven't seen the Nicolas Cage angel film in years, it’s worth a rewatch just to see how much the world has changed. It’s a time capsule of 1998 Los Angeles—no smartphones, just payphones and pagers and people actually looking at the sunset.
Your Action Plan:
- Watch the original: If you liked the concept but found the ending too "Hollywood," go find Wings of Desire. It’s a much deeper experience.
- Listen to the score: Don't just stick to the radio hits. Gabriel Yared’s orchestral score is actually beautiful and very underrated.
- The "Cage-a-thon" approach: If you're doing a Nicolas Cage marathon, pair this with Leaving Las Vegas (for the sadness) or Face/Off (for the contrast). It shows his incredible range.
The film serves as a reminder that even in the middle of his action-hero peak, Cage was willing to do something quiet and vulnerable. It’s not perfect, but it’s a movie that sticks with you, mostly because it dares to be sad.