Carl Roberts 
“Nicolas Cage again proves he is a superb actor with The Surfer. A unique, unsettling film with the audience on edge throughout.”
Nicolas Cage likes to make films that will have us on edge from start to finish. He also likes to take on roles in movies that we wouldn’t expect. He does it again with The Surfer, a psychological thriller from Irish filmmaker Lorcan Finnegan. We wouldn’t expect to see Nicolas Cage in a film directed by an Irishman and set in Australia. Just like last year’s Arcadian, Cage delivers something we would never think we’d see him in. And once again, he pulls it off brilliantly.
THE PREMISE
A man returns to the idyllic beach of his childhood to surf with his son. When he is humiliated by a group of locals, the man is drawn into a conflict that keeps rising and pushes him to his breaking point.
THOUGHTS
From almost the twenty-minute mark until the end, we are never sure about what we are seeing. Is the surfer really experiencing what we see on screen? Or is it in his head? Is he really who he thinks he is, or someone completely different? And why is he seeing a dead man floating in the sea? How will he eventually deal with the thugs who are tormenting him? All these things crop up during the 99-minute runtime and more besides. The film has the unique ability to have us on edge, trying to work out what’s going on while also repulsing us at times. Whatever conclusion you reach in your own mind before the revelation in the final reel is wrong. Even when we reach the climax and the revelation of what’s true, we still can’t be sure what we see is reality or a delusion.
The line “Don’t live here. Don’t surf here” is in play from the start to the end of the film. We can’t understand why the locals are so eager to keep outsiders away from their piece of paradise. It looks incredible, inviting us to enter the water or to sit on the sand. We wouldn’t get the chance; the surfers on the beach will make sure of that. Threats of violence, physical threats and violence perpetrated against those who try is commonplace here. Even though we are watching a film, we are not welcome here. The locals will do all they can to get us to move on, away from the area. All these things play in our minds as we watch the events on the screen.
NICOLAS CAGE
Nicolas Cage is in top form here. His character is known throughout the film as The Surfer, nothing more. We are not offered a real name or identity, making things even more mysterious and intriguing. His backstory is underplayed, leaving us with even more questions about what we see. Cage is exceptional. From the suited, confident man at the start to the ragged shell he becomes as the film plays out, Cage gives a performance as powerful as he has ever delivered. This is Oscar-worthy stuff without a doubt. As his sanity crumbles and his desperation increases, the surfer becomes increasingly unhinged. Cage’s acting prowess here has us hooked and believing every word he says. Everything he does during the film shows the world that Cage is one of the best actors of his generation. He holds the film on his shoulders, taking the emotional weight without struggling.
JULIAN MCMAHON
Julian McMahon plays Scally, who is a self stylized guru determined to protect the beach from outsiders. McMahon plays the piece’s villain here, but we are never sure of him. His menace is quietly uttered, logically delivered in a friendly, almost pitying tone. But we can’t allow this to alter our view of him. One minute, he speaks friendly and patiently to Cage’s character; the next, we see what he is capable of and what is bubbling underneath. As Scally, McMahon becomes an almost friendly villain but it is a ruse. Or is it? We can’t tell if he really is the villain or simply a misunderstood man who tries to help the surfer in any way he can. McMahon also turns in a superb performance that fits the film and narrative perfectly. In a way, he reminds us of Patrick Swayze’s character of Bodhi in Point Break. No, he doesn’t rob banks, but his followers will all obey him without question. It is an excellent piece of acting from the star.
VISUAL IMAGERY
The visual imagery in the film sometimes repulses us. From a maggot-covered piece of food the surfer takes from a trash can to eat during events to dog faeces dumped on a drinking fountain to disgusting water from a toilet’s tap, it makes us queasy. And that is before we get into the climax of the film. It will sometimes sicken us from a snake slithering between the surfer’s legs as he hides to a rat bite in a car. Let’s put it this way: if any audience member is scared of rats, near the film’s climax will have them running for the nearest exit. But that’s the point. What we see is supposed to make us feel sickened. It also plays into our concerns about the surfer’s mental state. Is he really seeing these things, or are they all in his mind? The psychological terror he faces would affect anyone’s mental health. It is another string to the film’s bow.
DIRECTION AND WRITING
The direction from Lorcan Finnegan is assured. Using every technique he can, Finnegan crafts a film that, while visually stunning, is also ugly in the same way. For everything beautiful we see in the film, Finnegan shows us the opposite side of the coin and its ugliness. He also drags out some fantastic performances from his cast, with Cage and McMahon being the standouts. However, Nic Cassim as the Bum, Alexander Bertrand as Pitbull, and Justin Rosniak as the Cop are also directed to deliver performances that should make filmmakers sit up and take notice of them and their talents. This is all thanks to Finnegan’s masterful direction.
The script from Thomas Martin is a terrific piece of writing. Martin injects some winning comedy into his script, balancing out some of what he has written to put us on edge. He delivers a screenplay that never allows us to feel comfortable, that has us unsteady on our feet and questioning what we are seeing on the screen. The psychological edge he gives the film makes it one of the best films we have seen so far this year. His story of a man disintegrating before our eyes, with all that’s going on, whether it’s real or not, deserves to be highly commended.
VERDICT
Nicolas Cage again proves he is a superb actor with The Surfer, a unique, unsettling film that keeps the audience on edge throughout. This is the kind of film he takes on and makes his own. By the time the end credits roll, we have been on a journey we wouldn’t have expected to enjoy. It also pays homage to the surfing films from the 1970s. Even the opening credits are done in the style of those 1970s movies we saw at a drive-in, on TV, or on a disc or digital download. They are the kind of credits that Quentin Tarantino loves so much. At times, it reminds us of those Grindhouse films that pop up now and again on TV or streaming. The film feels as if it’s in the same vein as those films from forty/fifty years ago, just on a more modern scale.
The film is multilayered from start to finish. It is a remarkable story of toxic masculinity and male fragility that resonates on so many levels. It’s a trippy film that slowly peels back the layers, showing the rot underneath before delivering a shattering and unexpected final result—nostalgic, wild, a fever dream about the human psyche and the need to fit in. The Surfer is destined to become a cult classic in its own right. Forget the latest boring CGI fest playing on multiple screens at the multiplex. Hang ten with Nicolas Cage instead. This is a wild ride and a trip that is worth taking. Surf’s up!
The Surfer will be in cinemas starting Friday, courtesy of Vertigo Releasing.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
