8 Movie Characters With Completely Irrational Fears

8. Nic Cage's Matchstick Men Character Is A Confidence Man With No Confidence

For fans of Ridley Scott, Matchstick Men is a neat little display of the director's more character-focused sensibilities, with the film letting Nicolas Cage off the leash to operate at his Cagey-est, twitching, yelling and uncontrollably sweating as a man with extreme OCD, panic attacks and - most importantly - a touch of agoraphobia. It's a veritable tour-de-force of a performance, and while there's nothing more enjoyable than watching Nic Cage spectacularly break down in a queue at the chemists ("Have you ever been dragged to the sidewalk and beaten until you PISSED BLOOD?"), the character's conditions don't even remotely ring true. Cage's character Roy is no regular schmo, you see, but a confidence man - someone who is literally required to leave the house and have confidence to make money.

The best con-men are natural hucksters, talking smooth and changing character according to what the latest con requires. Roy can play only one character: that of the tic-heavy, combustible mad-man, inspiring about as much confidence as a recently escaped mental patient.