Is Nic Cage still riding the comeback wave in THE SURFER?

May 8, 2025

Dive into a captivating discussion about Nic Cage's quirky new film, 'The Surfer', where he finds himself in a surreal beachside conflict while reconnecting with his son. There's a heartfelt review of David Attenborough's latest ocean documentary, peeling back the layers of environmental challenges. Explore a fresh take on the romcom classic 'The Wedding Banquet', tackling love and cultural complexities. The hosts also offer insights on the theater experience versus streaming, weaving in nostalgic anecdotes and humor, making for a delightful listening journey.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Artificial Snow in Central Park

Mark Kermode experienced artificial snow in Central Park while visiting New York during Home Alone 2 filming.
He found the moment magical as snow fluttered despite summer heat.

INSIGHT

Ocean Crisis and Hope

David Attenborough's documentary shows oceans are in crisis due to destructive fishing like bottom trawling.
However, protected marine sanctuaries can rapidly restore ocean health and benefit the planet's climate.

INSIGHT

Marvel Films and Loneliness

Marvel films resonate with audiences by addressing themes of loneliness and mental health.
Even if they don't appeal to all, they offer meaningful connections to some viewers.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Vanguardistas have more fun—so if you don’t already subscribe to the podcast, join the Vanguard today via Apple Podcasts or extratakes.com for non-fruit-related devices. In return you’ll get a whole extra Take 2 alongside Take 1 every week, with bonus reviews, more viewing recommendations from the Good Doctors and whole bonus episodes just for you. And if you’re already a Vanguardista, we salute you.

It’s a bumper review week in Take 1, and first up is the new underwater doc from everyone’s favourite near-centenarian national treasure, ‘Ocean with David Attenborough’. Mark reviews this big-screen voyage for the naturalist, and sticking with the seaside theme we’ve also got a review of Nic Cage’s bonkers beach-set latest, ‘The Surfer’. In it, Cage plays a man who revisits the beach of his childhood to surf with his son, but finds himself locked in a conflict with the locals that escalates to surreal heights.

Plus, ‘The Wedding Banquet’—Andrew Ahn’s remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 romcom, in which two queer couples get mixed up in an unlikely marriage in pursuit of Green Cards and fertility treatment. And finally, ‘The Uninvited’—a Hollywood industry satire featuring two screen stars of the moment, Walton Goggins and Pedro Pascal—alongside Rufus Sewell, Lois Smith, Elizabeth Reaser and more. And in place of a guest this week the Good Doctors will be answering even more of your top correspondence than usual, so don’t miss it.

Timecodes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free):

Ocean with David Attenborough review: 08:23

The Uninvited review: 37:58

Laughter Lift: 43:38

The Surfer review: 49:13

The Wedding Banquet review: 59:26

You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo

Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

A Sony Music Entertainment production.

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts

To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

And to find out more about Sony’s new show Origins with Cush Jumbo, click here

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices