The Surfer SXSW review

At this point in my life, if I don’t get at least one Nicolas Cage movie a year, then I don’t even know if it counts as a real year. The crazy thing is, as Cage has aged, it seems that his movie choices have only gotten better, so anything new with him in it comes with high anticipation from me. This is my fifth SXSW, and I think every year there’s a Nicolas Cage film playing here, making me wonder if it’s even a real SXSW if Nick isn’t here with a movie. This year, we get Lorcan Finnegan’s new film The Surfer, in which all Cage wants to do is surf with his son—and let me tell you, he is dedicated to that mission.

Returning to the place where he grew up, a man (Nicolas Cage) brings his son (Finn Little) to surf the beach of his childhood. He’s taken him out of school for the day, telling him there’s a surprise waiting for him once they’re on the water. They head to the beach together, but they’re stopped by a guy screaming that the beach is only for locals. Thinking that can’t be the case, the man pushes back, but ultimately retreats with his son, appearing to give up on surfing. His son goes to school, but the man stays behind, even returning to the beach and getting into an altercation before heading back to his car. However, this man is dedicated to two things: talking to his broker as he tries to buy his childhood home near the beach and surfing a wave there. Slowly, time starts to work against him, costing him almost everything he came with—his car, his phone, his watch—but he is not about to give up now.

Written by Thomas Martin, The Surfer really does celebrate this one man’s almost unstoppable fall, as he just wants to buy the home he grew up in and surf with his boy. He stays in that parking lot like he’s being forced to, but no one is forcing him to do anything. As time passes, things become more desperate. You feel what the character is going through, as Finnegan seems to turn the knob of madness up minute by minute, making you feel like you’re trapped in this parking lot with him.

For me, The Surfer is top-notch Cage, as his slow descent from a successful man driving a Lexus to a parking lot bum is fantastic. Finnegan creates a paranoid thriller that is truly a tour de force for Cage, leaving you shifting in your seat at the lows this character reaches. Make no mistake—there is no other actor alive who could have done this role, and Cage holds this movie together, taking it from a “Do I need to see this?” to a “I must see this” because of him. Finnegan is excellent at building tension while keeping the story moving, forcing the audience to participate in the slow emotional and physical decline of this man. Even with its limited locations—the parking lot and the beach—I never felt boredom or repetitiveness. Cage is simply that good.

I’ve heard The Surfer being called a cult film, but that title isn’t given—it’s earned. This movie has everything needed to become one. But for now, it’s another great Cage performance and a movie you have to experience.