There are two unbreakable rules in today’s film industry. Rule number 1: Tom Cruise has to run like an absolute lunatic at least once in any of his movies. Rule number 2: Nic Cage is gonna Nic Cage and there’s not a damned thing anyone can do about it. Despite continuing rumours of his retirement and a refusal to commit fully to any one movie genre, as well as headlining some clunkers that would finish the careers of other actors (such as The Wicker Man), he remains a hugely endearing focus for many films. At his best, he gives many smaller projects a real cult feel to them, especially in recent horrors like “Mandy”, Mom and Dad, and Colour Out of Space. Then there’s the larger-than-life performances in studio offerings like Renfield and Longlegs. Hell, even Willy’s Wonderland was worth watching just to see his silent tough guy beat up FNAF-rip-off puppets! So, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see another off-kilter sort-of horror that revolves around one of his nuanced takes on a central character. The Surfer is a “psychological thriller” (in the broadest possible terms) about a man returning to his family home in a town dominated by an idyllic surfing location, and being harassed by the locals. Directed by Lorcan Finnegan (who made Vivarium, which most people have a definite opinion about if they’ve seen it), it had its world premiere in the Midnight Screenings section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it picked up some positive word of mouth. Now, it’s spreading across US and UK screens as it looks for that perfect wave.

 

The movie opens with the titular “Surfer” (played by Cage, and no… we never find out what his name is… nor most of the characters for that fact) driving into a car park overlooking the picturesque Lunar Bay on Australia’s south-western coast. It’s a surfing hot spot and the area where Surfer was raised as a child. (NB: Cage never attempts anything other than his own accent, and it’s explained away blithely as due to the fact that he’s a world traveller but was raised in California.) Now, a businessman driving a Lexus and tied to his phone, he is obsessed with buying a nearby property that used to belong to his family. However, even the simple act of surfing on the beach is denied to him (and his son) by the thuggish behaviour of the dick-head beach bums. (“Don’t live here! Don’t surf here”). Thoroughly stymied and embarrassed, he returns to the car lot the next day. Unfortunately, in a series of increasingly strange incidents, he finds himself trapped and gradually stripped of his belongings. It gets to the point where he questions his own identity and starts to lose self-control, putting him in conflict with the local leader of the surfing cult named Scally (Julian McMahon). It won’t end well.

 

Let’s face it. We’re at a moment in cinema history where a “Nic Cage film” is pretty its own sub-genre, whatever the story happens to be about. The central character will invariably be driven to distraction and occupy their absurdist reality. Consider that another synopsis for this very film, which does nothing to dispel the cult persona of Mr Cage. What is surprising is that it does feature (for the most part) an understated turn from the actor, rather than an OTT scene-stealing explosion. It is actually one of his better and more grounded performances on the big screen in recent memory. The “Surfer” is essentially a stereotype. An everyman, with a job and (estranged) family, who gradually loses it all over a few days because of an obsession with his past and what he still sees in his memories. From the plot synopsis, the whole thing sounds like Falling Down meets Wake in Fright (the 1971 Aussie film about a schoolteacher succumbing to extreme outback behaviour). Or maybe Death Wish on The Beach (great name for a film/band/cocktail!). But... nope. That’s not the case.

 

The plot takes at least three significant plot swerves during the running time, each of which goes against exploitation expectations and explores things like sense of identity, the downsides of capitalism, and the re-emergence of toxic masculinity. As regards that last one, Scally is a thoroughly dislikeable douchebag and certainly inspired by the likes of Andrew Tate and other lifestyle influencers of his ilk. He identifies as a corporate “life-coach” and treats people like crap (“Suffer! Surfer!” being a mantra) but still receives the adulation of his peers and Gen Z followers, being able to get away with doinking much younger ex-girlfriends of his flock. Nasty. The whole framework of the plot is based around Scally playing head games with Surfer, taunting him with food and water as he dehydrates, and mocking his attempts to become a “local”.

 

All of this is filmed through a filter of constant sun glare, visual heat refractions, and vistas of parched ground. And it takes place over Christmas Day! But the only way you would know that is the fact that one character is constantly wearing a novelty Santa hat. Nevertheless, it gives the whole film that 70s Ozploitation feel. As well as the aforementioned Wake in Fright, the bright-and-roasting cinematography is reminiscent of films like Long Weekend (1971), Walkabout (1971), and similar “Damn-Australia-You-Scary” epics. We even get close-ups of massive bugs, echidnas, and other freaks of nature to hammer this home. Couple this with the fact that we’re reliant on the viewpoint of Cage’s Surfer, who turns out to be an unreliable narrator, to say the least. Even before he starts to become dehydrated, he envisages dead bodies in the surf, himself looking at … erm… himself from a distance, and lots of other hallucinogenic moments that might be real or not. In one genius/bonkers moment, he even begins to question whether he is a figment of his own imagination or someone created in the mind of another character. Suffice to say, when you leave the cinema, you’re likely to feel just as disorientated and wondering whether somebody in the cinema was pumping recreational drugs through the air conditioning!

 

So, you’re probably getting the idea now. If you’re expecting a film that goes along the lines of: Cage goes to the beach, Cage gets needlessly harassed by obnoxious locals, Cage goes beyond breaking point and beats their asses… this ain’t it. It’s going to be divisive for sure. Despite some very good critical reviews, good word of mouth from festivals, a backlash of naysaying has started online, probably due to the way it has been promoted. Despite its exploitation filter and roots, this is a “New Wave” (hah!) movie that explores many themes without committing to clear messages. Apart from the fact that (apparently) “localists” are one step up from the KKK, and some Gen Zs just need to be locked up for simply existing. But it does come as a surprise to find that it's Cage that provides the grounding factor here. Despite one or two moments of insanity (“Eat the raaaaatt!” is bound to haunt the rest of his career like “No! Not the bees!”), he gives a committed and effective portrayal of a man devolving between two cultures and making impossible decisions. Cue scenes of him lapping water from a puddle or thrashing a rodent against the side of a car for “pure” Cage alongside oddly distressing scenes of him as a “bum” begging for help from strangers.

 

It’s borderline genre, and the mayhem expected is mostly internal, although it does get violent and fatal at points. Having said that, for all the layers of weirdness and crazy situations (one particular narrative twist just beggars belief), this messy “thriller” is weirdly entertaining. Those with a fondness for surf culture and Ozploitation will appreciate the aesthetics, and the whole film takes place in one outdoor location (Yallingup, Western Australia, in the Margaret River area… for trivia fans). It’s just something different, and it's more than likely to be a love-or-hate relationship that you’ll have with it. Cage is great, but stays within a threshold, and much of the proceedings are low-key and personal. With all that said, approach with caution and be aware that there may be some sharp “objects” to this beach. Otherwise, prepare for outback weirdness with less Cage-rage than normal.