The Surfer is a complete whirlwind of a film and a cult classic in the making. Irish director Lorcan Finnegan teams up with star Nicolas Cage for this new psychological thriller, which is an Irish and Australian co-production. The duo crafts a zany, unhinged picture that is exactly for midnight audiences who love a wild cinematic ride. Moreover, following fan favorites like Pig, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Dream Scenario, and more recently, Arcadian, The Surfer is another standout entry in Nicolas Cage’s current acting run that offers its own unique laughs and thrills.
An unnamed Surfer (Nicolas Cage) and his teenage son (Finn Little) roll up to an Australian beach called Luna Bay in a sleek-looking Lexus. This is where Cage’s protagonist grew up before moving to California as a young adult. He’s long dreamed of buying the house he grew up in, a sweet vintage residence that overlooks the serene coastline. The father and son arrive with the simple goal of surfing the waves and looking up at their potential new home from the best vantage point out at sea. However, their plans are rudely interrupted by a gang of local surfers who call themselves “The Bay Boys.”
The Bay Boys threaten Nicolas Cage’s Surfer and his kid, forcing them to leave as the beach is “only for locals.” The Surfer insists that he is originally from the area, but gang leader Scally (Julian McMahon) pays no attention to his pleas. After being humiliated right in front of his teenage son and learning that a new buyer is coming in with a higher cash offer for his childhood home, Cage’s Surfer has had enough. He begins spying on the Bay Boys and devises a plan to get back at them, one that just might hilariously push him to the edge of his sanity.
Director Lorcan Finnegan is in excellent form after his previous two films, Vivarium and Nocebo. He makes the most out of this niche screenplay, written by Thomas Martin (White Widow, Tin Star). It must be said that the rising Irish filmmaker has worked with some great actors across his first four features, including Jesse Eisenberg, Eva Green, and Mark Strong. Now, Nicolas Cage is added to this impressive list. Finnegan’s greatest asset is perhaps his creativity and skills in creating engrossing thrillers that are adaptive to the strengths of his cast. The Surfer is just the latest example of Finnegan pulling this feat off in style, but this time with Cage’s heightened antics.
The Surfer will capture the hearts of B-movie lovers instantly as it quickly descends into a manic series of events that’s paired with a hypnotic score, sun-scorched lighting, and psychedelic lensing. The more the Surfer loses control over his mental state, the more the plot dials into the over-the-top theatrics that genre fans have come to adore from Nicolas Cage. Audiences are left in awe as the Surfer drinks dirty tap water and fights cult members half his age to free the secluded beach of his childhood. Reality itself is then blurred as the Surfer begins to question his own life and sanity. At one point, it even seems like he’s an entirely different person, and all that was shown at the beginning of the film was in his head.
It’s easy to get lost in the hysteria on-screen, especially as the filmmaking is wonderfully experimental with its imagery. Distorted angles and eerie lens choices add to the sun-soaked mania of The Surfer. The saturation is also cranked up to one hundred as Nicolas Cage physically deteriorates in the burning Australian sun — his skin glows bright red and his lips become drier than a desert. Additionally, almost all of the story is set in a singular location: the beautiful beach at Luna Bay and its car park. The lush blues of the ocean and the harsh yellows of the sun, paired with the unnerving greens of the beach parking lot at night, paint a picture of two different worlds. One is idyllic and peaceful, while the other is an abstract nightmare. But everything blends together right before snapping back to reality with a grand ending twist.
Limiting the Surfer’s world to one location proves how important his mission is, but it also traps the viewer in the same endless loop of his deranged psyche. It all makes for a joy to watch as the film cleverly toes the line between being a full-on dark comedy and a psychological thriller. The Surfer offers plenty of memorable laughs and just as many disturbing moments, including one where Nicolas Cage literally feeds a dead rat to an enemy. However, the best of both worlds come together as Cage faces off against Julian McMahon’s stern antagonist, Scally.
The Bay Boys’ leader sticks it to Nicolas Cage’s Surfer, psychologically and physically, throughout the entire movie. It’s through Scally that the script explores a certain type of toxic masculinity. The macho lifestyle of the Bay Boys brings to mind the real-life devoted followings of modern, self-proclaimed masculine gurus like Andrew Tate. Cage’s character eventually finds himself swept up in their crude ideologies, though he really buys it, which leads to the group’s downfall.
Even though the titular Surfer endures constant bullying, his goal to prove his worthiness as a father is firm. This mission is obviously skewed as Nicolas Cage’s Surfer spirals into madness and loses his sense of identity. But the Surfer ultimately learns his lesson after cruising back into his normal life, regaining his sense of self, and reuniting with his son in the approach to Christmas as they finally surf those sweet waves.
The Surfer premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and hits theaters on May 2, 2025!
Release Date: May 2, 2025.
Directed by Lorcan Finnegan.
Written by Thomas Martin.
Executive Producers: Lorcan Finnegan, Greg Friedman, Ford Corbett, Jatin Desai, Mark Fasano, Sam Hall, Joshua Harris, Mark Lane, Apur Parikh, Michael Rothstein, François Tétaz, & Ryan Winterstern.
Produced by Nicolas Cage, Brunella Cocchiglia, Robert Connolly, Leonora Darby, James Grandison, James Harris, & Nathan Klingher.
Main Cast: Nicolas Cage, Julian McMahon, Nicholas Cassim, Miranda Tapsell, Alexander Bertrand, Justin Rosniak, Rahel Romahn, Finn Little, & Charlotte Maggi.
Cinematographer: Radzek Ladczuk.
Composer: François Tétaz.
Production Companies: Tea Shop Productions, Arenamedia, Lovely Productions, & Gramercy Park Media.
Distributor: Lionsgate & Roadside Attractions.
Runtime: 99 minutes.
Rated R.
