Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

The Surfer

Play trailer 2:24 Poster for The Surfer R Released May 2 1h 43m Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
86% Tomatometer 162 Reviews 46% Popcornmeter 250+ Verified Ratings
In the psychological thriller directed by Lorcan Finnegan, a man returns to the idyllic beach of his childhood to surf with his son. But his desire to hit the waves is thwarted by a group of locals whose mantra is "don't live here, don't surf here." Humiliated and angry, the man is drawn into a conflict that keeps rising in concert with the punishing heat of the summer and pushes him to his breaking point.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

The Surfer

The Surfer

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Nicolas Cage expertly rides the waves of toxic masculinity in this sand filled arena of torment.

Read Critics Reviews

Audience Says

While the story is too flat for most to ride, Nicolas Cage beguiles as The Surfer, and the iconic Australian backdrop makes for a stunning screensaver.

Read Audience Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (162)
Sandra Hall Sydney Morning Herald ...although there should be a moral in [the plot] somewhere, the result is so risible and Cage’s performance so ridiculous that all you can do is laugh. Rated: 2/5 May 14, 2025 Full Review Mark Kermode Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube) Cosmic philosophizing turns into something kind of like Iron John toxic masculinity with a little Dostoevsky's The Devils... Freakingly bonkers. May 14, 2025 Full Review Maxwell Rabb Chicago Reader The film is full of recycled commentary on the dangers of hypermasculinity, but it doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not—just ride the wave, and you’ll have a good time. May 12, 2025 Full Review John Serba Decider I can see some casual viewers being turned off by their inability to fit The Surfer’s oddball dalliances into a tidy narrative framework, but its umbrella ideas eventually clarify. Jun 23, 2025 Full Review Walter Chaw Film Freak Central In demanding an active viewership, it creates disengagement; it’s an irony I haven’t been able to untangle entirely. Rated: 2.5/4 Jun 20, 2025 Full Review Peter Gray The AU Review A descent into madness, with another fully embodied turn from the fearless Cage, The Surfer is a specific type of character-based thriller that enjoys its exasperating temperament. Rated: 3.5/5 Jun 12, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (179)
Tim Just Wow! lol This one will leave you thinking. Cage is awesome in this roll, completely out of his mind in the best kind of way! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/29/25 Full Review Sam I like that it was filmed in Australia but it basically took place in the same area the whole movie. It ended to quickly and the end was not good. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/20/25 Full Review Karo B Very boring, makes no sense of his decisions. I left before the movie was over. It’s one of the worse movies I’ve seen! Rated 1 out of 5 stars 05/14/25 Full Review Rob Nicholas Cage is brilliant as always but the movie itself I found dull and weird. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 05/15/25 Full Review Sean Good atmosphere, wish Nick Cage Caged out more though, but overall a good movie. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/14/25 Full Review Ben W Interesting.. surprisingly palatable, in a way. Not just the abductions a movie that I thought I was going to see. Definitely had its twists and psychedelic trip scenes, but subverted that quickly. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/14/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Surfer

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

The Surfer

The Surfer: Movie Clip - My Board The Surfer: Movie Clip - My Board 1:23 View more videos
The Wasp 76% 71% The Wasp Watchlist TRAILER for The Wasp He Went That Way 26% 43% He Went That Way Watchlist TRAILER for He Went That Way Fall 79% 79% Fall Watchlist TRAILER for Fall Into the Deep 17% 24% Into the Deep Watchlist TRAILER for Into the Deep Sympathy for the Devil 59% 50% Sympathy for the Devil Watchlist TRAILER for Sympathy for the Devil Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis In the psychological thriller directed by Lorcan Finnegan, a man returns to the idyllic beach of his childhood to surf with his son. But his desire to hit the waves is thwarted by a group of locals whose mantra is "don't live here, don't surf here." Humiliated and angry, the man is drawn into a conflict that keeps rising in concert with the punishing heat of the summer and pushes him to his breaking point.
Director
Lorcan Finnegan
Producer
Leonora Darby, James Harris, Robert Connolly, James Grandison, Brunella Cocchiglia, Nicolas Cage, Nathan Klingher
Screenwriter
Thomas Martin
Distributor
Lionsgate / Roadside Attractions
Production Co
Arenamedia, Tea Shop Productions
Rating
R (Sexual Material|Language|Drug Content|Some Violence|Suicide)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 2, 2025, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 6, 2025
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.3M
Runtime
1h 43m
Most Popular at Home Now