Nicolas Cage’s Upcoming Thriller Is Exactly What I Was Hoping For As A Follow-Up To His Record-Breaking Horror Movie

In 2024, Nicolas Cagestarred in a new psychological thriller called The Surfer, and now that the trailer is finally out, I couldn't be more excited about this new role. Since the 1980s, Cage has been a notable Hollywood star, appearing in an impressive number of movies, all of which vary intensely in terms of genre and form. Most recently, Cage starred in the Oz Perkins horror movie, Longlegs, where he played a diabolical and horrifying serial killer. Because of this incredibly creepy role, I'm pumped to see Cage return to his spooky self in The Surfer.

In Longlegs, Cage plays Dale "Longlegs" Cobble, a man who systematically kills young girls over the course of decades. While serial killers are inherently scary, Cage brings a new sense of horror to his character due to his disconcerting prosthetics, pale white face, and the strange voice he uses. There are countless moments in that movie where Cage's mere presence sent a shiver down my spine. As a result, I am desperate to see Cage in more horror roles, and his latest project seems to be a really strong fit.

The Surfer Looks Like A Wild Follow-Up To Nicolas Cage's Role In Longlegs

How The Surfer Relates To Longlegs

Set to release on May 2, 2025, The Surfer is a psychological thriller that follows a man simply known as The Surfer. After returning to his hometown in Australia after making a new life in America, the Surfer is embarrassed in front of his son by a group of surfers. Angry and looking for revenge, the Surfer remains at the beach and intends to wage war against the other surfers. Eventually, the conflict rises to a horrifying degree, forcing the Surfer to the brink of what he is willing to do.

Based on the premises, The Surfer seems completely unlike Longlegs. There's no obvious horror to it, and the Surfer himself seems far off from Longlegs. However, after watching the trailer, it is clear that The Surfer is no simple family drama. This movie looks like it is bursting with tension, and Cage will be at the absolute center of it. Though he appears to be a fairly regular guy, Cage will be able to show completely different sides to the Surfer that could be just as troubling as in Longlegs.

The Surfer Already Has An Impressive Score On Rotten Tomatoes

The Surfer Is Exactly What I Want From Cage

A haggard Nicolas Cage staring down an Australian surfer in The Surfer

One especially exciting aspect of The Surfer is that it already has strong critical reviews. After being released at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024, the movie earned a strong 88% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers have praised the film for its unique themes of toxic masculinity and localism, tied up into a high-stakes thriller. Furthermore, Cage has been appreciated for his performance, which may just be the best of the year.

Overall, The Surfer is exactly what I'm looking for from Cage. Over the years, Cage has proven his ability to be a hero, a class clown, and a villain, but I am craving these more unorthodox, bizarre roles. Arguably, it is what he's best at, and what generally does well with critics and audiences. Because of this, I cannot wait to see Nicolas Cage in The Surfer.

Nicolas Cage Has Been On A Movie Hot Streak This Decade

He's Nailed A Balance Between Genre & Prestige

Another reason I'm so excited for The Surfer is simply because of Cage's track record over the past decade. Of course, anyone who works as much as Nicolas Cage does is bound to have some flops and misses here and there, and Cage certainly has had a few of those in recent years. Jiu Jitsu, for example, was a low-budget mess, and Renfield failed to strike at the box office despite its impressive cast. But even those misses have been great in their own way. Jiu Jitsu isn't a high-quality movie, but I thought it was definitely entertaining. And horror-comedy Renfield deserved far better than it got in theaters, judging from it becoming a respectable hit on streaming.

Nicolas Cage against a red and blue background

Nicolas Cage’s Major Career Change Should Be The Start Of A New Trend For The Oscar-Winning Actor

Nicolas Cage’s next project is a massive change for the legendary actor’s career, but perhaps this could be the start of an exciting new era.

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But even those underrated movies are rare for Cage in the past decade, which has mostly been full of incredible arthouse movies and bangers. I was so glad to see Pig turn it around for Cage in 2021 and remind people that he was a legitimate Oscar contender, and he hasn't stopped, with Cage doing movies like The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Dream Scenario, and Snowden under his belt.

Of course, none of that would have been possible had Cage not first found a career renaissance in sometimes thought-provoking, sometimes bizarre, always over-the-top indie horror movies, working with some of the best directors in the genre. Just look at a few of his horror/thriller titles in the past decade: Mandy, Color Out of Space, Willy's Wonderland, Arcadian, and, of course, Longlegs. And we have to give him props for his voicework in the groundbreaking Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse franchise. That's a decade any actor would kill for. Luckily, Cage shows no signs of slowing down.

Nicolas Cage's Other Upcoming Movies

His Impressive Run Isn't Slowing Down

The Surfer is incredibly intriguing, but I'm also keeping my eye on Cage's other upcoming movies, because there are a few exciting projects on the horizon. Of course, there's Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, and it will be great to see Cage's Spider-Man Noir return - he proved so popular that he's even getting his own spinoff Spider-Noir TV series.

In a more dramatic turn, I'm fascinated to see how Nic Cage tackles playing the titular sports legend in the upcoming John Madden biopic, Madden. It's not a role I'd associate with Cage, but he's proven he's a chameleon who can sink into any role, so it will be really fun to see how he tackles it. And considering David O. Russell is the director, it may find Cage looking at another Oscar nomination. The same goes for his turn in The Prince, the movie about addiction and transformation inspired by Hunter Biden.

Upcoming Movie/TV Show Title	Status	Release Date
The Surfer	Releasing soon	May 2, 2025
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse	In Production	TBD
The Carpenter's Son	Post-Production	Later 2025
The Prince	In Production	TBD
Lords of War	Pre-production	TBD
Madden	Pre-production	TBD
Spider-Noir	In Production	Later 2025

But I'm glad to know that Cage isn't abandoning horror and still intends to take daring risks in the genre: French-American historical horror movie The Carpenter's Son sounds bonkers and right up Cage's alley - and yes, I can admit I had a good chuckle at the reports that Cage was swarmed by a horde of bees in one of the caves in which they were filming. It's very on-brand. And I also can't forget Lords of War, the upcoming sequel to Cage's 2005 hit, Lord of War. Even if The Surfer isn't the fascinating flick I hope it is, I have faith that it will be another good decade for Nicolas Cage.