The Surfer

The Surfer takes his teen son in his Lexus to Luna Bay, aiming to show him the house above the beach that holds sentimental value as his childhood home and a place to surf. They arrive with hopes of reconnecting with his past and the beach's surfing culture. However, they are turned away by local surfers who fiercely protect the beach from outsiders.

Feeling rejected, the Surfer drives his son back to his mother's, disappointed that they couldn't access the house or surf. The mission to connect with his past and secure the house continues to fuel his obsession. Meanwhile, he pushes for a financial deal to purchase the house before Christmas, showing his desperation.

The Surfer is contacted by his investment colleague about work issues and learns his estranged wife is engaged and expecting a baby. These revelations crush his hopes of reuniting his family and owning the beach house, adding to his emotional turmoil. His focus shifts to raising the money needed to buy the house.

The Surfer notices his surfboard is missing and goes to confront the gang at their beach retreat. He demands his board back but is assaulted and forced to leave after a fight. He then calls the police, but the officers dismiss his complaints, further isolating him.

A photographer helps the Surfer by jumping his car and capturing images of him, offering him a temporary boost. The Surfer attempts to buy food with his phone's credit but is unable due to his phone dying, leading to him leaving his father's watch as collateral for basic needs. His sense of stability begins to collapse.

The Surfer tries to reclaim his surfboard and sees the gang branding a new member. He faces violence, vandalism, and has to hide in the underbrush overnight. His car is stolen, and he becomes homeless, wandering the parking lot in a desperate state while hallucinating and facing the harsh elements.

Delusional from the heat, sun, and lack of food, the Surfer roams the parking lot barefoot, pleading with beach-goers for their phones. He suffers hallucinations of a dead man in the surf and visions of desert animals, reflecting his deteriorating mental state and physical exhaustion.

The Surfer encounters his real estate agent, who dismisses him as a vagrant, and the policeman laughs, denying his ownership of the Lexus, which he believes was stolen. Living in the broken-down station wagon, he scavenges for food, drinks fetid water, and even tries to eat a rat, sinking deeper into despair.

The photographer returns with proof that the Surfer owns the Lexus and has a job, reigniting his hope. Enraged, he goes back to the beach, nearly drowning the bully Pitbull, and after being patched up by Scally, learns that his ordeal was a test of worthiness for the house.

Scally forces the Surfer to burn the wrecked station wagon to prove his commitment. His son arrives on his bike, the Lexus returns to the parking lot, and the Surfer is finally deemed worthy of the house, symbolizing a step towards reconnection and redemption.

The Surfer, his son, Scally, and the gang return to the beach to surf. The Bum intervenes, returning with a gun, and a tense moment ensues as the Bum executes Scally and then kills himself in the surf, mirroring the Surfer's father’s death and concluding the story.