‘The Surfer’ Review — A short, sharp shock of violence on the shore

A review of the new thriller, in theaters now

At the beginning of Lorcan Finnegan’s new film The Surfer, an American played by Nicolas Cage gives his Australian son (Finn Little) what he calls a “surfing as a metaphor for life” speech. He’s talking about waves, about how they brew out in the ocean for days, weeks, or even years before cresting in “a short, sharp shock of violence on the shore” that you have to learn to navigate, lest you be swallowed up by it.

The man — credited only as “The Surfer” — is taking his son to surf the beach at Luna Bay, an idyllic stretch of Australian sand where he grew up. The surfer’s on the outs — the kid plans to spend Christmas with Mom — but he’s working on buying his childhood home, hoping that they can all be together again soon.

When they reach the beach, however, they’re met with opposition from a gang of locals who call themselves the Bay Boys. “Locals only,” sneers Pitbull (Alexander Bertrand). “Don’t live here? Don’t surf here.” The Bay Boys answer to Scally (Julian McMahon), a charismatic guru who molds the masculinity of the men who follow him like groupies. Scally warns the Surfer that he’d better back off now, or else things could get ugly.