The Surfer (2024 film)

Film by Lorcan Finnegan

The Surfer

American theatrical release poster

Directed by| Lorcan Finnegan
Written by| Thomas Martin
Produced by|

* Leonora Darby
* James Harris
* Robert Connolly
* James Grandison
* Brunella Cocchiglia
* Nicolas Cage
* Nathan Klingher

Starring|

* Nicolas Cage
* Julian McMahon
* Nic Cassim
* Miranda Tapsell
* Alexander Bertrand
* Justin Rosniak

Cinematography| Radzek Ladczuk
Edited by| Tony Cranstoun
Music by| François Tétaz

Production
companies

* Saturn Films
* Arenamedia
* Lovely Productions
* Tea Shop Productions

Distributed by| Stan (through CinemaPlus in Australia)

Release dates

* 18 May 2024 (2024-5-18) (Cannes)
* 2 May 2025 (2025-5-2) (United States)

Running time

| 99 minutes
Countries|

* Australia
* Ireland

Language| English

The Surfer is a 2024 psychological thriller film written by Thomas Martin, directed by Lorcan Finnegan and starring Nicolas Cage.[1][2][3] The film premiered in the Midnight Screenings section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2024.[4][5]

It was also featured in the Limelight section of the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam to be screened in February 2025[6] and is scheduled to be theatrically released by Roadside Attractions on May 2, 2025.[7]

## Cast

[edit]

* Nicolas Cage as the Surfer
* Julian McMahon as Scally
* Nic Cassim as the Bum
* Miranda Tapsell as the Photographer
* Alexander Bertrand as Pitbull
* Justin Rosniak as the Cop
* Rahel Romahn as the Estate Agent
* Finn Little as the Kid[8]
* Charlotte Maggi as Jenny

## Production

[edit]

Nicolas Cage's casting in the film was announced in May 2023.[9] The film is an Australian and Irish co-production. It was produced by Tea Shop Productions, Arenamedia, Lovely Productions and Gramercy Park Media, with support from Australia's Screenwest.[10] It was then reported in October and November 2023 that Cage was filming scenes in Yallingup.[11][12][13] Principal photography concluded in December 2023.[10]

## Reception

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 87% of 47 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Nicolas Cage expertly rides the waves of toxic masculinity in this sand filled arena of torment."[14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 68 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[15] Josh Slater-Williams of IndieWire graded the film a B-.[16] Xan Brooks of The Guardian awarded the film four stars out of five.[17]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Bold, Sam; Lynch, Jacqueline (11 August 2023). "Auditions called for Nicolas Cage surf movie to be filmed in Margaret River, Yallingup". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
2. ^ Lynch, Jacqueline (17 October 2023). "Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage spotted in Busselton ahead of filming The Surfer movie". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
3. ^ "Nicolas Cage's 'The Surfer' Wraps Production in Australia, Unveils First Look". Variety. 13 December 2023.
4. ^ Keslassy, Elsa; Shafer, Ellise; Ritman, Alex; Debruge, Peter (11 April 2024). "Cannes Film Festival Reveals Lineup: Coppola, Cronenberg, Lanthimos, Schrader and Donald Trump Portrait 'The Apprentice' in Competition". Variety. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
5. ^ "The Screenings Guide of the 77th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
6. ^ "Limelight: The Surfer". International Film Festival Rotterdam. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
7. ^ Collins, Germain (25 February 2025). "The Surfer Thriller Movie Trailer: Nicholas Cage". Nerdist. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
8. ^ "Finn Little Didn't Quite Know Who Nicolas Cage Was Before Co-Starring in 'The Surfer'". The Hollywood Reporter. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
9. ^ Ritman, Alex (18 May 2023). "Cannes: Nicolas Cage to Hit the Beach in Psychological Thriller The Surfer for Mossbank (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
10. ^ a b Wiseman, Andreas (11 December 2023). "Nicolas Cage Wraps Thriller The Surfer In Australia: First Look Revealed". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
11. ^ Body, Jamie (23 October 2023). "Nicolas Cage Slammed Over Fundraiser". Newsweek. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
12. ^ Pierson, Dashel (15 November 2023). "Leaked Footage: Nicolas Cage Fights Surf Gang While Filming New Movie". Surfer. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
13. ^ Pierson, Dashel (14 November 2023). "Spotted: Nicolas Cage Surfing and Filming New Movie in Australia". Surfer. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
14. ^ "The Surfer". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
15. ^ "The Surfer". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
16. ^ Slater-Williams, Josh (17 May 2024). "'The Surfer' Review: Nicolas Cage Goes Mad in This Hallucinatory Australian Thriller". IndieWire. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
17. ^ Brooks, Xan (17 May 2024). "The Surfer review – beach bum Nic Cage surfs a high tide of toxic masculinity". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 May 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* The Surfer at IMDb

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