In director Lorcan Finnegan’s tense thriller The Surfer, Nicolas Cage misses no opportunity to go to emotional extremes as a man who has returned to live at the Australian beach of his childhood. This character never gets a name. He’s only known as the surfer. He brings his son and the surfboard his father gave him, with dreams of recapturing a time of happiness and freedom in the waves.
It’s not going to be that easy, however. A gang of local men calling themselves the Bay Boys (inspired by the infamous real-life Lunada Bay Boys of Los Angeles) insist that the beach is for residents only. Violence is threatened when the surfer stands his ground, but that drama is averted by the arrival of Scally (Julian McMahon), leader of the Bay Boys and cooler head. He tells his gang to stand down and pleads with the surfer to move along the coast to a friendlier family beach.
“… A gang of local men insist that the beach is for residents only …”
The surfer has other plans. He’s in a deal to buy his childhood home that overlooks this beach and he will not be deterred. As tensions mount between him and the gang claiming the beach, he refuses to leave the car park. As days wear on, the heat, dehydration, and the blistering Australian sun begin to take their toll on the man living in his car.
As his physical and mental state degrades, he begins to lose the assurances of modern life. His mobile phone is taken, he runs out of cash, and the Bay Boys steal his beloved surfboard and hang it over the door to their beach club. His Lexus disappears, and the local police seem disinterested in his situation.
He seems genuinely frightened of the Bay Boys, but still won’t back down. Scally is menacing, but tries repeatedly to feed him, give him water, and encourage him to move on. The man begins to lose his mind, drifting into madness as he insists he must reclaim the peace and innocence of his childhood. When he finally snaps, the story starts to take truly bizarre turns.
Finnegan made some wild choices in this film, and even without the layered, unreliable plot narrative, it is still a trippy experience. The palette ranges from garish to sublime. Dayglo beach clothes and set pieces compete for visual impact with stunning views of the ocean and breathtaking sunsets. The soundtrack by François Tétaz also jars the senses with tunes that range from cheesy game show themes to spaghetti western showdown themes.
"…an over the top, must not miss film"
