It's puzzling why they titled this “The Surfer,” because there's hardly any surfing, swimming, or even paddling in this rather unbelievable psychological thriller. The film centers on Nicolas Cage, portraying a character without a name, who brings his son (Finn Little) to a beautiful Australian cove with the intention of showing him something important. However, before they can reach the beach, they’re blocked by some local toughs who insist that surfing is restricted to residents only. Because they aren't locals, they have to find another way. The boy needs to return home and go back to school, but his father refuses to be intimidated by “Scally” (Julian McMahon) and his group of bullies – apparently, he spent his own childhood here, and it’s a matter of principle for him. What follows is increasingly absurd as the narrative stumbles forward, becoming less coherent as it attempts to mix realities and develop characters, ultimately leading to an ending that I personally found baffling. It has a sort of cult appeal, I guess, and Cage does deliver a decent performance as his character gets caught up in a whirlwind of perplexing situations that progressively push him toward increasingly frantic behavior. There are numerous gaps in the plot, and the first hour feels so slow-paced that by the time things start to move towards the climactic point, I’d completely lost my engagement. Perhaps there's a deeper meaning for those who feel displaced or unfairly treated within their childhood communities, but unfortunately, that doesn't justify how silly this movie is—especially considering it needed a more substantial and believable counterpart to showcase Cage’s abilities in what is essentially a surf-less surfer story. Ultimately, the film didn’t work for me.

Source on TMDB