Why Did Nicolas Cage Spend Six Weeks In Taj Burrow’s Airbnb?

The Surfer isn’t a surf movie.

It’s a psychological thriller, according to most reviews — leaning into dark humour, with surfing as more of a set piece than a subject. The real focus? The fragile, unraveling human psyche.

But surfing is still the skeleton the film drapes itself over, which makes it relevant to us. The lead role is occupied by Nicolas Cage, playing a man who grew up in a nameless Australian coastal town before fleeing to the U.S., where he built a life, had a kid, and, years later, developed the unshakable spiritual itch to return and show his son where he was born.

There’s no sign of his Australian accent — it’s disappeared entirely, which is odd given the strength and thickness of the drawl pouring from the mouths of the locals. When the two collide, neither sounds right — both butchering the Queen’s English in their own unique way. No one seems to remember him either, despite him growing up there.

The trailer delivers some incredible one liners — “Before you can surf, you must suffer.” We’re also treated to a zoomed-in, bloodshot Cage brandishing a dead rodent, shouting, “Eat the rat!” while giving someone the Jeremy Flores in Burleigh Heads treatment.

Whispers from Yallingup say the crew camped out in the Rabbits car park for the whole six-week shoot. And every day, Rabbits churned out flawless three-foot waves, like it was on the Hollywood payroll.

Cage holed up in Taj Burrow’s $1,600-a-night Airbnb for the duration. Taj crossed paths with the Hollywood mogul only once — when something in the house broke, and he showed up with a crew of local tradies. The rest of the town never laid eyes on him, except for one day when he did some grocery shopping and local newshounds lost their minds.

The Surfer is coming to U.S. theatres in May. Australia will wait another six months.

With an 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a standing ovation at Cannes, the anticipation is a little torturous. Before you can watch, you must suffer.

Eat the rat.