THE SURFER

Australia/Ireland, 2024, 104 minutes, Colour.

Nicolas Cage, Julian McMahon, Finn Little, Miranda Tapsell, Justin Wozniak, Rahel Romahn.

Directed by Lorcan Finnegan.

Endurance is key.

Nicolas Cage plays The Surfer”, an Australian, brought up on the West Australian coast, spending time in the US (hence the accent), wanting to recover and buy his father’s home, bringing his teenage son to is one with him to revive his memories and hand on tradition. So far, so good. However, the locals are aggressive, pugnacious, not letting anyone to surf unless they live in the area. And so begins a series of insults, humiliations, vicious attacks, cruel behaviour, with The Server as victim. So, here is the endurance.

But, as we watch, the word endurance also comes to mind, our endurance as we sit watching this cumulative impact of brutality and its effect on The Surfer. Watching it is very tough going.

In realism terms, audiences were probably anticipating that he and his son would leave after the first confrontation. But, no. The Surfer remains, becoming more and more obstinate and obdurate, the physical and psychological onslaught beginning to take its toll but rendering him more stubborn. He should have got in his car and driven away, but…

The portrayal of the clique of surfers certainly raises a key issue of contemporary society, the place of men, critique of patriarchal ways, the response of male assertion, few holds barred. The sequences with the group dramatise some of the aspects of the Andrew Tait and followers promotion of what it is to be for males. In fact, here the group is presented as something of a cult, led by a local, who bullied The Surfer at school, Scally, played as smugly assured by Julian McMahon. He has a philosophy of maleness, the reality and symbol of surfing, but gathering the young men around him even with an immersing ceremony inducting them into his cult.

There is also an older man, somewhat deranged, who hovers, talks with The Surfer, has a grievance of his own with Scally, and also has a gun…

Now and again there is a sympathetic character or two helping The Surfer, notably a photographer played by Miranda Tapsell. But, there are a lot of unpleasant characters, especially the local police officer, the proprietor of a drinks van, who certainly alienate the audience as well.

So, how do we endure this experience? Initially a certain empathy with The Surfer but then our dismay and exasperation, sharing what he suffers and at times this is considerable, but exasperated as he stays on – and, trying to deal with his final confrontation with Scally, the psychological consequences, the confrontation with the mad old man, and the return of his son.

This is an Australian/Irish co-production. The writer, Thomas Martin, and the director, Lorcan Finnegan, both Irish, their interpretation of an Australian coastal community, seemingly relishing some portraits of the Ugly Australian. Some commentators have noted that they are particularly fond of Australian films from the 1970s, especially, small-budget thrillers, often with horror touches, nicknamed Ozploitation. No flattery for Australia or Australian is here!

But, this is a Nicolas Cage film. Over the last decade and more he has made several films each year, often strange and wild characters, all kinds of genres from westerns to horror. But, he has built up a huge number of fans who want to see his films, no matter what, many articles written about him, his place in popular American cinema. Nicolas Cage completists will certainly want to see this film and connect it with his others. But, for many wanting to see an Australian film with Nicolas Cage, this will be something of a bewilderment.