Hey, ya wanna see a guy get tortured for roughly an hour and forty minutes? What’s that, you’re on the fence? Well, what if I told you it was Nicolas Cage? Thought that would get your attention! Whether he’s being beed and burned in The Wicked Man or living out a nightmare in Dream Scenario, few actors have suffered for their art like Cage. Yet, none of Cage’s characters have endured more than the protagonist of The Surfer, whom I’m just realizing doesn’t have a name. Even if he did, the audience would still call him Nicolas Cage, who’s essentially playing himself (again).
Cage has demonstrated exceptional range as an actor through his performances in Leaving Las Vegas and Adaptation. With movies like The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, he’s also proven that nobody can play Nic Cage better than Nic Cage. Watching The Surfer, we’re always aware that we’re watching Cage, which works to the film’s advantage. With another actor in the role, The Surfer might come off as too mean-spirited and unpleasant. Cage knows how to balance empathy with dark humor, however. When the titular surfer is at his lowest point, Cage makes us feel his pain. The more the world craps on him, though, the more fun Cage seems to be having. The audience has fun with him… for a while.
Although the Surfer has spent most of his life in America, he seeks to buy a beachfront property in his home of Australia. Thankfully, Cage doesn’t do an Australian accent, as hilarious as that might’ve been. Going through a divorce, the Surfer attempts to reconnect with his teenage son (Finn Little). The local beachgoers get in the way, telling the Surfer not to intrude on their surf. Their leader is the charismatic Scally (Julian McMahon), who is to surfing what Andrew Tate is to kickboxing. Actually, Scally’s minions spend more time kicking Cage around than surfing. The law is on Scally’s side, proving useless when the gang steals the Surfer’s board. The Surfer is his own worst enemy, though, refusing to leave the beach until he’s locked down his dreamhouse.
The Surfer finds himself in a purgatory where broken glass lines the pavement, the drinking fountains have been soiled, and almost everyone is conspiring against him. Among the few who don’t dump on the Surfer is a beach bum (Nic Cassim), a reflection of what he could become. The bum disappears for a good portion of the film, leaving us to guess if he even exists. The film’s reality is loose, which can give “weird for the sake of weird” vibes. At the same time, it does tie into the Surfer’s mental state, losing control of his life and sanity. Cage is a hoot throughout, although there comes a point where you wish the film would cut to the chase.
While The Surfer works well enough as a black comedy with a psychological thriller edge, the film’s commentary falls short. The Surfer seems to be making a statement about toxic masculinity, but doesn’t have much to say on the matter other than that it’s bad. The limited setting can also make it feel like we’re going around in circles after a while, although perhaps that’s the idea. Even if The Surfer isn’t as enlightening as it wants to be, director Lorcan Finnegan understands how to get the most out of his star. Casting is key here in what can be alternatively called The Passion of the Cage.