Here’s another opportunity to preview a movie, thanks to the Cineworld Unlimited screening of The Surfer. This film stars Nicolas Cage as a man who returns to the idyllic beach of his childhood to surf with his son. However, when he faces humiliation from a group of locals, he becomes embroiled in a rising conflict that pushes him to his breaking point.
I went in to see The Surfer blind and didn’t know that much about the film, all I had seen about the film was the trailer and the short synopsis about the film. For me, this was a great way to go into seeing the film, as it certainly had plenty of surprises to keep me entertained throughout its 1h 40m run time.
The feeling I got as soon as the film started was that it has a very Indie film look to the production, but don’t let that put you off, as there is so much to pull you into The Surfer than you first realise. The film starts with us being introduced to “The Surfer” (Nicolas Cage) and his son “The Kid” (Finn Little) arriving at a beach to not only surf but for Cage to give Little the news that he is buying a beach house that used to belong to his family. But not all is as it seems, and upon getting to the beach, the two are confronted by a bunch of surfers and told that if they don’t live there, then they can’t surf there.
Cage’s character is determined to stand his ground, asserting that he used to live in the house and is trying to buy it back. However, tensions escalate as a group of surfers, who appear to be part of a “cult” led by Scally (brilliantly portrayed by Julian McMahon), attempt to undermine The Surfer’s mental state. They subject him to humiliation and aggression, which drives him into a spiral of paranoia and inner turmoil.
Cage brings us a brilliant performance as we see him change from a man with a goal to a man who is broken and destroyed by the people in the place he wants to be part of again, leading him to do unspeakable things just to survive as he tries to stand his ground and not be beating down by the group of surfers.
Director Lorcan Finnegan has created a visually stunning movie that takes the viewer on a journey filled with strangeness and charm, raising questions about what is happening and why. There are some superb, what can only be described as, psychedelic moments that put you at unease, and you get the same feeling that Cage’s character is probably going through as The Surfer descends into loss and fear of what is happening to him.
I wasn’t expecting the outcome of the film, but it works remarkably well. The themes of toxic masculinity, identity, and the struggle for redemption create a sense of relief at the conclusion, but there’s still a tragic feeling of loss.
The cinematography looks great from the emptiness of the car park to the glorious lighting of the sea and sunsets, the music certainly has a nice touch to it as well, and that was the first thing that hit me when the film started. Composer Ayda Akbal has brought us some great tones that add to the journey that The Surfer is on.
It makes a change to see a film like this on the big screen, and for me it was great to watch. The Surfer is certainly one of those films that needs to be seen on the big screen for its use of the full widescreen format.