One thing is certain when you go to see a Nicolas Cage film and that is it’s not going to be a comedy.

If you’re a fan of Cages acting then there’s a lot to like in The Surfer. On the other hand if you find him overpowering then The Surfer might not be for you as it sees Cage ramping up his intensity to 100%.

Cage plays The Surfer, his name is never disclosed, and it sees him returning to his home town in Australia after living for many years in the US. The reason for his return being that he wants to purchase his old family home which has just come on the market.

With The Surfer is his son, only known as The Kid (Finn Little).

When the pair of them head to the beach to surf they find that it’s been taken over by a local gang led by a former friend of The Surfer called Scully (Julian McMahon).

After the gang humiliate The Surfer in front of his son his son heads home leaving The Surfer to return to the beach where he decides to face down the gang.

Much as Michael Douglas had a nervous break-down in Falling Down (1993) pretty much the same happens to The Surfer. As if finding out that his ex-wife, who he hopes to reconcile with, is pregnant to another man wasn’t bad enough it also looks as if he’s not going to be able to afford the house. As he becomes a man on the edge of insanity, rats are placed in his car, excrement is placed on the only drinking fountain, The Surfer takes it upon his self to confront the gang on the beach.

The Surfer is a bit of a slow burner with the pace being a bit plodding at times. What isn’t plodding however is Cages to the max performance and for that reason alone The Surfer comes highly recommended.