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The Surfer

Play trailer 2:24 Poster for The Surfer R Released May 2 1h 43m Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 167 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.
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The Surfer

The Surfer

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Critics Consensus

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

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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.

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Critics Reviews

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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 Dionar Hidalgo Algo Más Que Cine A deliriously unhinged B-thriller, The Surfer rides the wave of Nicolas Cage’s manic energy. Though thematically scattered, its chaotic dive into masculinity, identity, and madness is oddly compelling — a sunburned fever dream that sometimes hits hard. Rated: 7/10 Jul 25, 2025 Full Review Maxance Vincent FlickSided Cage tries his best to salvage as much as possible from a project that exploits his talents well but doesn’t give him as much to work with as some of his best efforts. Rated: 2/5 Jul 25, 2025 Full Review Tim Miller Cape Cod Wave Magazine Director Lorcan Finnegan and a feverish Cage build tension to an almost unbearable degree. But the awfulness of it all goes on and on – I mean, how many times can you endure seeing a big, moist turd in a drinking fountain before you say, “No more!”? Rated: 2/4 Jul 22, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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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

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The Surfer

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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 (Language|Drug Content|Sexual Material|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
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