Dying of the Light

Evan Lake is a veteran CIA operative who has been told to retire. But when a younger colleague uncovers new evidence that his old nemesis, Banir, may have resurfaced, Lake defies orders and clamps down on a dangerous plan. He leaves behind the quiet routine of his life and heads across continents, chasing a ruthless enemy through a web of covert ops and high stakes risk. As the hunt tightens, Lake's tactics grow colder and less predictable, drawing in allies and skeptics alike. The mission tests his loyalty, his judgment, and the cost of a career defined by violence. As the chase crosses borders, the line between operatives and victims becomes blurred.

Directed by Paul Schrader, Dying of the Light arrived in 2014 with Nicolas Cage leading a tense, globe spanning thriller. The film is built from an original screenplay and features a compact, international cast including Anton Yelchin, Alexander Karim, and Irène Jacob, delivering a workmanlike, character driven mood.

Box office data for this title is not readily available in public records, and the film did not become a major commercial release. It received a limited rollout and drew a modest fan base among cinephiles.

Not a blockbuster or a defining moment in the thriller scene, the film has a quiet footprint in pop culture. It draws attention for Cage's restrained intensity and Schrader's austere pacing rather than flashy set pieces. Some viewers regard it as a late era interest for those who follow the director's corridor of ideas.

Critics described the film as a chilly meditation on retirement, obsession, and moral ambiguity. The story keeps the focus on character rather than explosions, asking whether loyalty to a mission overrides the costs to human relationships. While some praised its formal rigor and Cage's intensity, others found pacing uneven and the plot a touch rigid.