The opening credit score materializes over a seaside and declares “Nicolas Cage is The Surfer.”
For a number of seconds, we’re toyed with the thought of what that credit score guarantees: Cage hanging ten and shredding waves (a return to his years as a Spicoli bud?). Or, on the very least, enjoying a lifeguard or the equal of The Dude?
As a substitute, director Lorcan Finnegan’s sun-soaked however dark-hearted Aussie neo-noir drama has Cage enjoying an American returning to the Australian shore of his youth.
Cage’s dreamer-turned-failure-of-a-dad (the credit solely establish him as The Surfer) tries to deliver his son to the seaside the place his life as soon as held a lot promise. The daddy and son are rapidly harassed and threatened by those that declare the seaside as a Locals Solely vacation spot.
Cage’s middle-aged Surfer shouldn’t be solely decided to return to the glowing waves within the distance however can be planning to purchase a property that overlooks the seaside. An enormous impediment in his means is the menacing head of an area cult that lives on the seaside, performed by Julian McMahon in a wonderful efficiency.
Most of “The Surfer” consists of Cage stumbling round, crushed and dehydrated, begging to be heard and handled, just for him to be both bodily or psychologically crushed down, many times. If that doesn’t sound like enjoyable, consider me, it’s not.
I like that Finnegan is presenting an eccentric imaginative and prescient and there may be a lot appreciated darkish humor and a few sudden touches within the third act (extra on that later) however most of “The Surfer” is a tedious, disagreeable endurance take a look at.
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Think about “Straw Canines” (1971) set on an Australian seaside, or a low price range surf n’ sand variation on “Mad Max: Fury Street” (2015), with the antagonists coming throughout like members of Immortan Joe’s experience or die loss of life cult.
The film “The Surfer” jogged my memory of essentially the most is Oliver Stone’s hilarious and horrifying “U-Flip” (1997), through which Sean Penn spends two hours strolling round a small city, immersing himself in movie noir conventions, whereas the surroundings chips away at him.
“U-Flip” remains to be impactful and has character vignettes and comedic interludes that aren’t solely welcome however ingenious. Right here, watching Cage, his character battered and worn down for many of the working time, being assaulted and left for lifeless, many times, is totally redundant.
There’s a montage of Cage, at his most determined and starved, consuming essentially the most disgusting issues he can discover. Watching Cage, who I’ve been a fan of since “Peggy Sue Received Married” (1986), drop down on all fours and slurp water from a grimy puddle made me need to bail on this altogether.
Fortunately, there’s a welcome narrative change up within the late going, after I lastly couldn’t get forward of the screenplay. As a lot because the third act embraces psychedelic imagery and wacky brutality (sure, that’s a factor and this film has numerous it), the wrap up isn’t sufficient to raise what a chore that is to sit down by way of.
Maybe a cult following will materialize however critically – Cage’s work, as at all times, is absolutely one thing to behold right here. He’s been in so many higher motion pictures, in addition to neo noirs which are far more practical. Ridley Scott’s “Matchstick Males” (2003) involves thoughts rapidly, as does John Dahl’s “Pink Rock West” (1993) and Brian De Palma’s “Snake Eyes” (1998).
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Cage’s inventive comeback isn’t any joke (his “Sorcerer’s Apprentice”-era stoop is lengthy behind all of us) however “The Surfer” is extra a worthy problem for him, an admirably try-anything actor, than us, his fanbase who deserve higher.
McMahon’s distinctive efficiency as a charismatic however loathsome determine and the attractive cinematography are chief property. Maybe this could be a fuel to observe with a rowdy midnight film viewers. That stated, I want I may have seen the response from the viewers eventually yr’s Cannes Movie Competition, when this off-putting endurance tester premiered alongside the likes of “Anora,” “The Shrouds” and “Megalopolis” (what a bizarre yr for Cannes!)
I’m being utterly critical about this – if I’ve to sit down by way of a film through which Cage is pushed to the sting and battered down by an all-seeing and highly effective cult, I’d fairly rewatch “The Wicker Man” (2006).
One and a Half Stars