Lorcan Finnegan's psychological thriller is written by Thomas Martin and scored by François Tétaz.
Nicolas Cage - The Surfer
Julian McMahon - Scally
Justin Rosniak - The Cop
Alexander Bertrand - Pitbull
Nic Cassim - The Bum
Miranda Tapsell - The Photographer
Rahel Romahn - The Estate Agent
Adan Sollis - The Barista
Charlotte Maggi - Jenny
Finn Little - The Kid
Summary
In the run up to Christmas, the eponymous Surfer returns with his son to Luna Bay in Australia to buy his childhood home on Clifftop Drive.
When attempting to surf, they're immediately confronted by Pitbull, screaming "Don't live here, don't surf here."
Self-styled guru Scally (real name Scott Callahan) runs the Bay Boys (inspired by real-life gang The Lunada Bay Boys), tells them to leave.
The Surfer takes the Kid home, but father returns to the beach.
After stealing his board, hostile locals make the Surfer's life a living hell, causing him to gradually lose grip on reality.
Look the beast in the eye
Candle burns slowly, but watching Cage's descent into madness is fascinating.
Famished and dehydrated, desperate geezer is forced into bin-raiding, munching on bird eggs and drinking a puddle of beer. Suffice to say, volcano eventually erupts.
The Surfer is eventually initiated into Scally's cult, telling him that shit was a test to prove he was worthy enough to buy house.
"Before you can everything, you have to experience nothing."
Explanation is unsatisfying to say the least.
Climax focuses on the Bum, who before turning the gun on himself, executes Scally for killing his son and dog.
Despite taking clear inspiration from The Swimmer (1968), this essentially plagiarises 1971 classic Wake in Fright, adapted from Kenneth Cook's 1961 debut novel of same name.
Amusingly, both are even set at Christmas time.
For the record, original film was remade as a two-part TV miniseries in 2017.
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