The Surfer, clearly a wealthy businessman, takes his son for a surf at an idyllic coastal spot where The Surfer grew up. His ulterior motive is to point out a house overlooking the bay that he is going to buy, in a last attempt to keep his disintegrating family together. Approaching the sea, The Surfer and son meet a group of young men who have the mantra “don't live here, don't surf here” and aren't above violence to enforce this. They are led by Scally (Julian McMahon, absolutely superb in his last film), seemingly the antithesis of The Surfer. The son leaves and the drama unfolds in the single setting of the beach and the nearby car park. It is an oft' told tale of a man being stripped back to basics, but with a twist.
I wish I'd seen this at the cinema when it was released; the visual style is super-vivid with saturated colours. Flashbacks (premonitions?) have an ethereal feel to them, with a stylised 50s style fairground soundtrack. The writing & screenplay are equally precise in intent with a few spots of deliberate ambiguity, giving the film unexpected depth.
The main thrust of the film is toxic masculinity and reliance on property and possessions for happiness. It succeeds because you can enjoy it as a story, taking its presentation literally. However, there are multiple levels you can read into the film.
I've seen reviews that read Dostoyevski and Kafka into this, but it strikes me as being closer to one of JG Ballard's novels where the central character subconsciously undermines their very existence in order to find a way forward in life. Either way, I loved this, I can understand the criticisms, but it is right up my street and highly recommended. Eat the rat!
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