Movie Review: Thriller ‘The Surfer’ brings Nicolas Cage to a boil
- Nicolas Cage stars in The Surfer, a thriller released May 2, 2025, set on Luna Bay's Australian coast where he returns to surf with his son Finn Little.
- Cage, playing an unnamed businessman, plans to buy his childhood million-dollar beach house while facing hostility from a local surf gang led by Scally, played by Julian McMahon.
- The film depicts Cage's character enduring physical trials, from being roughed up by locals to growing sunburned and dehydrated as the situation on the hillside near the ocean rapidly deteriorates.
- Rated R for suicide and drug content, The Surfer is penned by Thomas Martin, directed by Lorcan Finnegan, and described as a psychodrama akin to U-turn or Affliction where endurance is key.
- The film’s conclusion depicts Cage's character struggling to come to terms with loss amid a surreal, harsh ordeal, ultimately exploring the theme of recognizing the right moment to let go—a concept that becomes clearer in the third act.
29 Articles
29 Articles
Nicolas Cage Reveals Near-Death Experience While Prepping for His New Movie
Nicolas Cage found himself facing his own mortality while learning to surf in preparation for his latest film. Cage, 61, had to take surfing lessons for The Surfer, which hit theaters on Friday, May 2. In the movie, Cage stars as an anonymous businessman who moves back to his native Australia to buy the beach house of his childhood. Despite that premise, Cage’s character doesn’t actually spend that much time in the waves. Still, a key scene towa…
Nicolas Cage says sharks got in the way of surf lessons for 'The Surfer': 'I could’ve died'
"Every time I've attempted surfing, I've been pounded to smithereens," the actor tells EW. courtesy of Roadside Attractions Nicolas Cage in 'The Surfer'Nicolas Cage has pulled off some wild stunts throughout his storied career, but learning to stand up on a surfboard for his new movie proved more difficult than stealing the Declaration of Independence.In The Surfer (now in theaters), Cage plays an unnamed businessman who returns to his Australia…
Nicolas Cage catches surreal wave in ‘The Surfer’
In Lorcan Finnegan’s existential surf-noir “The Surfer,” our titular wave worshipper (Nicolas Cage) learns the hard way that you can’t go home again. Riffing on Australian New Wave classics like “Wake in Fright,” Irish filmmaker Finnegan and writer Thomas Martin place their star in a sun-blasted car park overlooking the tasty tubes of the fictional Luna Bay, Australia, and let him unravel under the mental torment of a local surf gang led by the …
How Nicolas Cage Became The Secret Weapon Behind The Wildest Psychological Thriller Of The Year
LionsgateWhen you cast Nic Cage in a role, you’re gonna get Nic Cage. And Lorcan Finnegan’s sun-soaked psychedelic thriller, The Surfer, makes no bones about that. Cage is as big as Cage can get, starring as a nameless man who gets slowly broken down mentally by a group of alpha-male surfers who rule a “locals only” beach on the coast of Australia.But Cage doesn’t just see his role in The Surfer as part of a long line of over-the-top performance…
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