By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
Nicolas Cage weaves his acting magic to bring this unique film to theaters, creating a mind-bending enjoyable filmgoing experience. “The Surfer” is a psychological thriller that alternates between sunbaked reality and the surreal, keeping audiences on their toes without causing a wipeout of confusion. Though it has some logic flaws and predictability, the storyline stays afloat with subtle twists and revelations.
A picturesque beach along the west coast of Australia is the setting that finds a man simply referred to as The Surfer (Nicolas Cage) with his son (Finn Little). Excited to surf with his son and show him the place he grew up in as a kid before moving to California, they encounter aggressive locals who prohibit anyone from surfing who does not live in the area. Annoyed by the rebuke but undeterred, the man returns by himself as he tries to purchase his childhood home in hopes of solving his crumbling family life.
The local surfer gang led by Scally (Julian McMahon), who has an almost cult-like following, begins to make the wealthy man’s life a living hell, tormenting him by assaulting and stealing his belongings. Even the local police kowtow to Scally, leaving the man paranoid with no one to turn to, questioning his own sanity as dehydration and hunger begins to take its toll in the sweltering heat. As he approaches the end of his rope, an animalistic rage threatens to consume him which could have dire consequences.
Irish director Lorcan Finnegan, best known for his 2019 film “Vivarium,” helms this twisted tale of tormented paranoia. With the entirety of the film taking place either on the beach or in the adjacent parking lot, Finnegan is challenged with keeping the audience’s interest due to the lack of visual variety. However, he successfully meets this challenge by implementing clever cinematography using saturated colors and lenses that heighten the aging effect as well as enhance the perception of increasing heat as the movie progresses. The visual representation of the oppressive sun is so intense that he makes viewers subconsciously reach for their holstered drinks while swatting away imaginary flies. He also uses a number of closeups that not only show the physical deterioration of the sweat drenched main character with cracking lips, but also his mental deterioration. Along with smooth pacing, Finnegan avoids the lulls that tend to creep into a production with such a limited set.
Drawing inspiration from 1968’s “The Swimmer” as well as 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz,” Finnegan slowly reveals the protagonist’s backstory and true motivations while putting him through torturous suffering. He cleverly cultivates underlying themes of toxic masculinity and rosy coated nostalgia that help shape the narrative. While this strategy captivates viewers, it also reveals the direction the film is heading, making for a somewhat predictable conclusion. In addition, as the big reveal occurs, mistakes in logic and detail arise that derail the plot’s believability. For instance, the main character’s son somehow reappears late in the movie on a bicycle when his residence is nowhere near this remote location. Despite this suspension of belief requirement, Finnegan creates a pressure cooker of tension that is quite riveting with subtly quirky humor that makes for memorable moments.
Oscar winner Nicolas Cage is a national treasure who continues to churn out one impressive performance after another. His dedication to memorizing a script until he doesn’t even have to think about the lines is second to none, and it allows him to focus more of his attention on his character’s mental and emotional state. He’s also a student of film, especially older films, and he’s not squeamish about borrowing techniques. For this film, Cage draws from Lancaster’s performance in “The Swimmer,” as well as from David Bowie’s performance in 1983’s “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence.” Still, it is a uniquely Nicolas Cage type of performance with his trademark line delivery and facial expressions that make fans cheer and haters validated. Wisely, the director gives him free reign to explore his character’s reactions to certain situations that create hilarious moments, especially one involving a rat.
Additionally of special note is the performance from Julian McMahon, the Australian born actor who plays the antagonist. The former Dr. Doom of the “Fantastic Four” movies provides a career best performance as the unrecognizably charismatic, yet ruthless, cult-like leader. The depth he imbues his character with, as well as his impactful line delivery make audiences hang on his every word.
For those unmoved or fatigued by comic book movies, “The Surfer” presents itself as a worthy cinematic alternative this weekend. For those who enjoy anxiety inducing psychological torment and tension building, or those who are simply Nic Cage fans, this is a must-see film. Just don’t get too hung up on the details, and you should have a pretty enjoyable time.
This movie earns:
