The Surfer ending explained: Was Nicolas Cage's character hallucinating in the movie?

The psychological thriller film, The Surfer, was released in the United States by Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate on May 2, 2025. Starring Nicolas Cage in the titular role, the film explores a man's return to his roots as he tries to reestablish a connection to them.

However, his efforts are diminished by a local group and their leader, who is not ready to give access to Cage's character to their beach and their community.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.

At the beginning of The Surfer, when Nicolas Cage's character arrives in Luna Bay, he's determined to get back his old family home, where he had spent some of his best childhood years. He also takes his son along with him in an effort to make him experience what he had once experienced, but things don't go according to plan.

When Cage's character arrives at the beach with his son, they are stopped by a local group of goons who call themselves the Bay Boys. They are reluctant to allow them to surf, as they aren't locals, and, according to them, only people living in the area can access the waters.

The Surfer's story then unfolds as Nicolas Cage's character tries to impress the local goons while fighting their threatening advances. That leads him on a path of self-discovery as he comes to terms with some bitter truths related to his individuality.

In several parts of the film, that's depicted through a series of trippy and otherworldly sequences, creating a hallucinating effect. However, in these instances, Cage's character isn't having visions. Everything is happening in real time.

---

The Surfer is about Nicolas Cage's character trying to belong

The Surfer tells the story of a man who wants to truly belong (Image via Lionsgate)

In The Surfer, although a lot of things seem like they are happening at a surface level, they have underlying factors associated with them. For instance, in trying to be accepted by the local Bay Boys, Nicolas Cage's character goes to extreme lengths.

It highlights how important it's for him to be accepted by them. It also highlights how essential it's for him to truly belong and have a sense of security. Therefore, after repeated failures to impress the Bay Boys, when he finally gets in, he's elated beyond measure. He feels a strong sense of achievement as he's indoctrinated into the group.

However, upon learning that Scally, the group's leader, was involved in an incident that led to an old man's son's death, Nicolas Cage's character hesitates. But his hesitation doesn't last long, as he 's tasked with burning down the old man's vehicle.

He could have refused to do it, but the fear of being removed from the group he tried so hard to be a part of took over. As one of the last signs of showing his allegiance to the group, he set the car on fire.

---

The Surfer is about Nicolas Cage's character ridding himself of his bad traits and embracing the good ones

The Surfer explores the redeeming arc of Nicolas Cage's character (Image via Lionsgate)

At the end of The Surfer, when the old man attacks the Bay Boys, including Nicolas Cage's character and his son, with a gun, things suddenly become tense. Up until that moment, the movie had mostly been about Cage's character trying to get accepted by the gang of boys.

However, with the gun in the old man's hand, he no longer worried about that. All he cared about was his and his son's safety. Therefore, to ensure that they were safe, he found a middle ground with the man where he spoke about his father, whom he had lost, like the man had lost his son. Eventually, resonating with his pain, the man let Cage's character go.

The whole scene played out in a manner that implied that Nicolas Cage's character was letting go of the harmful traits he had developed and making way for good traits that would help him. He could have resorted to violence to protect himself and his kid but took a path rooted in kindness and familiarity.

---

The Surfer is currently running in theatres across the United States.