The Surfer

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2:24

The Surfer

R

Released May 2

1h 43m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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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.

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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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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Sean

Good atmosphere, wish Nick Cage Caged out more though, but overall a good movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/14/25

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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

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Lorcan Finnegan

Director

Nicolas Cage

The Surfer

Julian McMahon

Scally

Nicholas Cassim

The Bum

Miranda Tapsell

The Photographer

Alexander Bertrand

Pitbull

The Surfer: Movie Clip - My Board

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The Surfer: Exclusive Featurette - Eat the Rat

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The Surfer: Trailer 1

2:24

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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

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