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The Surfer is a bizarre low-budget thriller with a 1960s-style feel to the opening, but when it starts getting down to business in this film where few characters are given an actual name, Nicolas Cage (Longlegs) – as the titular surfer – is buying the gorgeous house he grew up in, and for the $1.6m he has ready in finance (coincidentally, around the amount Wikipedia claims it’s taken at the Worldwide box office!), but those living nearby are very much like in The League of Gentleman, as it’s basically ‘a local place for LOCAL people!’, and despite his attempts to convince them he used to live there, and is looking to resettle in the vicinity, in their parlance… they’re not having a bar of it!
There are often morons wherever you go, and after he parks up in the beach’s car park, he spots an old man who’s a bum, and has effectively ‘lived’ there since forever.
Still, he loved to surf there as a young boy, and wants to show the same to his son (Finn Little – Those Who Wish Me Dead), whilst also checking out the new abode, except that the Royston Vasey crowd are literally standing in his way.
Amongst the ne’er-do-wells is Scally (Julian McMahon – The Residence), also known as The Guru, with Cage recognising him from his younger days, although given how everyone is now in their late 50s and early 60s, you’d think they would all have grown up by now, and stopped dicking around.
For those actually living in the present and not reminiscing back to childhood, his ex-wife, Helen, is getting remarried, so needs to bring him back to reality and sign the necessary paperwork.
But once he’s on his own, this thriller does show how everything that can go wrong, does go wrong, since his surfboards are stolen from the roof of his Lexus, the cops are shit are dealing with such things, and then his car battery dies…
And it just gets worse for him from there, although for certain items getting nicked, he is leaving some of these out on display for anyone passing.
The Surfer feels like a continuation of 1993’s Falling Down and Oliver Stone’s 1997 movie, U-Turn, with Sean Penn putting in an equally brilliant performance to Michael Douglas’ D-Fens.
It really does show how Cage suffers for his art in this one, and I was left wondering how long before he goes completely mental? Plus, at least Julian McMahon restores some faith after playing Dr Doom in the so-so 2005 and 2007 Fantastic Four films. Just be glad it wasn’t the godawful 2015 Fantastic Four reboot!
Overall, The Surfer is brilliant and gripping stuff – albeit ridiculously daft at times, but then it’s Nicolas Cage being Nicolas Cage, and at his best, as he was in 2023’s Dream Scenario. However, whereas one poster comment – about it being “99 minutes of pure terror” – made it sound like a bloodbath was coming, it’s not that sort of film, but it does lead to a satisfactory conclusion.
Additionally, as it goes on, I was trying to work out which way the plot would turn (most likely, because I watch too many films, and I’m trying to guess which trope it’s falling into), but all I’ll say is that it didn’t go the way I was expecting. Now, you’re completely confused 😀
NOTE: There are no mid- or post-credits scenes.
The Surfer is in cinemas now, but isn’t yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD. However, once announced, it will appear on the New DVD Blu-ray 3D and 4K releases UK list.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 100 minutes
Release date: May 19th 2025
Studio: Roadside Attractions
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 8.5/10
Director: Lorcan Finnegan
Producers: Nicolas Cage, Brunella Cocchiglia, Robert Connolly, Leonora Darby, James Grandison, James Harris, Nathan Klingher
Screenplay: Thomas Martin
Music: François Tétaz
Cast:
The Surfer: Nicolas Cage
The Kid: Finn Little
Scally: Julian McMahon
Curly: Michael Abercromby
Pitbull: Alexander Bertrand
The Estate Agent: Rahel Romahn
Mortgage Broker: Greg McNeill
Blondie: Rory O’Keeffe
Blondie’s Wife: Sally Clune
The Bum: Nic Cassim
The Barista: Adam Sollis
Runt 1: James Edward Bingham
Runt 2: Austen Wilmot
Runt 3: Talon Hopper
Helen (voice): Brenda Meaney
Helen: Patsy Knapp
Derek: Christopher Binns
Jenny: Charlotte Maggi
Drug Dealer: Oliver Webb
The Surfer as a Child: Rhys James
Pizza Guy: Tyren Maclou
The Cop: Justin Rosniak
The Photographer: Miranda Tapsell
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.