The Surfer didn’t have much of a life in theaters, but now that it’s on streaming, audiences are giving it another chance. The Surfer is the story of a man who’s just trying to introduce his son to their new home by taking him surfing on the local beach. Unfortunately, the man is met with opposition from locals, who don’t want the father and son surfing there. The thriller is directed by Lorcan Finnegan, director of 2019’s Vivarium, and stars Nicolas Cage and Julian McMahon.
Even though multiple moments in the film feel hallucinatory and outrageous, the film is actually quite straightforward, treating most of these moments like real events. It all culminates in The Surfer‘s ending, which can only be explained as a condemnation of toxic masculinity. Here’s everything you need to know about the ending and meaning of The Surfer, explained.
What Happens at the End of ‘The Surfer’
For the film’s entire duration, Nicolas Cage’s character, known only as “the Surfer,” has been antagonized by the local surfing group, who won’t let him surf there. He’s had his clothes stolen, his car vandalized and misplaced, and his surfboard stolen. In fact, the people on the beach have started gaslighting him into misremembering details about his life. The Surfer resorts to living out of a dirty station wagon, owned by a man known as “the Bum.” Things don’t get better for the Surfer until a photographer arrives and shows him a picture she took earlier that reveals details of his old life.
The picture instills rage in the Surfer as he remembers what the surfing group has done to him. The Surfer rushes down to the beach, where he tries to drown a member of the group. The group’s leader, Scally, stops the Surfer. Scally tells the Surfer that it was all a test to ensure that the Surfer would fit in as a local. The Surfer has one final task to gain the group’s trust, which is burning the Bum’s station wagon, which the Surfer does.
All seems well for the Surfer for a brief moment. He has his surfboard and car returned to him, and he’s free to surf on the beach with his son. His serenity is upended by the Bum, who has also been one of the group’s targets for harassment. The Bum is ready for revenge, pointing a gun at members of the group. The Surfer convinces the Bum to let the Surfer and his son go by giving the Bum a shark-tooth necklace that was found in the station wagon. The Bum’s son had won that necklace in a surfing competition before getting murdered by Scally. Touched, the Bum lets the Surfer and his son surf, while the Bum kills Scally and himself.
The Meaning of ‘The Surfer’s Ending, Explained
As the film’s antagonists, the group of surfers don’t play nice. They’re toxic in the way they treat people and hold themselves in high regard. Although they might be disgusting, they’re completely necessary to the ideas behind the film. They represent the kind of toxic masculinity that’s been allowed to grow in recent years. In an interview with MovieWeb, Nicolas Cage discussed why the toxic masculinity depicted in The Surfer matters. The actor said:
“It is a situation around all of us today where the so-called ‘bro culture’ is everywhere, and it’s kind of toxic … I think it’s something people can respond to and relate to. In a microcosm, this character is up against something that I think we could find in offices, and find on golf courses, find in government institutions, anywhere. It’s very prevalent right now.”
The Surfer doesn’t just illustrate the so-called “bro-culture.” The film works to show the dangerous side effects of toxic masculinity. The surfer commune, despite being the most toxic characters in the film, actually breeds more toxicity in Cage’s character. By continuously attacking him, the group of surfers forces Cage’s character to become like them. That might be exactly what they want, but it still has disastrous side effects. The Bum, who doesn’t conform to the group’s lifestyle, eventually snaps from their constant attacks and kills them, demonstrating just one of the terrible results that can come from this toxic culture.
The shot of the Bum lying down on the beach also mirrors the Surfer’s flashback to the death of his father. The Surfer’s father had killed himself on the same beach, lying in the same position. Many ideas can be drawn from this parallel. For instance, the Surfer, although dangerously close to facing the same fate as his father and the Bum, managed to escape, even if that meant getting his rage out by standing up to his bullies. It also illustrates that men don’t have great support systems, leading to situations where they’re either living a toxic life or not finding life worth living at all.
‘The Surfer’s Ending Shows Nicolas Cage at His Best
Nicolas Cage’s career has been filled with ups and downs. For every great Cage film, there seems to be two terrible ones. At first glance, The Surfer might seem like it falls in that latter category, but Cage’s performance in the film is actually brilliant. It takes an actor like Cage to commit to the absurd situation presented in The Surfer, especially when it requires his character to be the constant target of abuse. Cage allows himself to be humiliated on screen as a way of depicting the film’s themes.
The role is similar to Cage’s role in Mandy, which features another great Cage performance. In that film, Cage’s character, Red, is tortured by cult members who are similar to the antagonistic surfers in The Surfer. The cult members kill his wife, eventually causing Red to snap. Mandy fits into the same category of trippy horrors as The Surfer, and they even share a similar grainy and colorful style.
Where to Watch ‘The Surfer’
For those who missed the deeper meaning behind The Surfer on first watch, there’s good news. The movie is now streaming on Hulu, making a rewatch even easier. Audiences who don’t have Hulu can rent or buy the film on Apple TV, Prime Video, or Fandango at Home. The Surfer also has a physical release, which includes a Blu-ray disc, DVD, and a code for a digital copy.
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
- Runtime
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100 minutes
- Director
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Lorcan Finnegan
- Writers
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Thomas Martin
- Producers
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Robert Connolly, James Harris, Mark Lane, Brunella Cocchiglia, James Grandison, Nathan Klingher, Leonora Darby