The Surfer is brilliantly done and led by the incredible Nicolas Cage, but it made me extremely mad (which I think is the point).
I am always down for a Nicolas Cage movie. I don’t even have to look at the synopsis or trailer, I will watch it. Tell me Nicolas Cage is in it and I am seated. And that is exactly what happened with The Surfer at SXSW.
This film is unsettling, terrifying at times, and honestly, made me really upset. Cage plays a man who simply wants to buy a house for hs family back at the place he lived when he was a kid. He brings his son to ride the waves but the beach is run by a surfer gang who refuse to let anyone who is not local on.
Taking place only in the parking lot and on the beach, The Surfer almost feels like a one location play, which is what I love so much about it. Cage and a homeless man are both plagued by this gang of young surfers, who are run by someone he grew up with. The way it all plays out will constantly have you wondering what exactly is happening. Twists and turns are weaved throughout as Cage feels that he is going crazy, which in turn will have the audience thinking the same thing about themselves.
But here is the kicker. These kids (and by kids I mean men who are likely in their early twenties) are tormenting them to the extent that made my blood boil. Perhaps it is the parent, or the decent human, in me, but I wanted to burst through the screen and start yelling at them.
They treat Cage horribly, as do several other people at this beach and parking lot, although every once in a while a nice person comes along. It fully leans into the effects of toxic masculinity in a way that I am not sure we have seen on screen before, and I fully appreciate that.
The way this film is shot takes everything to a whole new level, adding a layer of humor and an arthouse feel that makes it one of my favorites of the festival. Honestly, at first I wasn’t sure what to think, then I was furious, but by the time the credits rolled, I ended up being a big fan of The Surfer.
For a minute there I thought it was going to end and not wrap things up nicely, or explain what was truly happening. Sometimes movies like this prefer to not answer the biggest question, allowing audiences to form their own opinions of the story. Thankfully, that is not the case here, because that would have made me even madder.
Overall, Cage delivers an incredibly haunting and heartfelt performance. There were many moments I wanted to give his character a hug and let him know that everything would be alright. It is sad to see the way the events transpire and will certainly make me think the next time a see a homeless person. You truly never know what has transpired in their lives and how they got to where they are today.
The Surfer will likely mess with your head and could cause you to want to treat those bullies how they are treating others, but in tht end, I have to admit, it is a fantastic film. Do not let this one fly under your radar.
The Surfer premiered at SXSW 2025 and will come to theaters everywhere this Spring.
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About The Surfer
A man returns to the idyllic beach of his childhood to surf with his son, but is humiliated by a group of powerful locals and drawn into a conflict that rises with the punishing heat of the summer and pushes him right to his breaking point.
The Surfer played at SXS 2025.
The Surfer is brilliantly done and led by the incredible Nicolas Cage, but it made me extremely mad (which I think is the point).
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.