It’s difficult to truly label the surfing movie as a subgenre in its own right, if only for the fact that almost every feature film that focuses on boards, waves and bros largely couldn’t be more different from each other.
Whether we’re talking the action-packed Point Break, the animated family favorite Surf’s Up, the light and frothy Blue Crush, biographical drama Chasing Mavericks, inspiring true story Soul Surfer or any of the rest, it’s a little disingenuous to lump them all together.
However, 2013’s largely forgotten Australian effort Drift does hit all of the beats you’d expect from a surfing tale, even if a 32% Rotten Tomatoes score makes it clear that we’re not talking about a classic. Myles Pollard and Xavier Samuel are a pair of low-level drug dealers that fall foul of their local community after starting a business selling surfwear equipment, before they end up playing a huge part in the cultural movement that exploded into life in the 1970s.
Inspired by true stories and real events without being a genuine dramatization, Drift has spent the last seven days riding the crest of success on the Netflix most-watched list, as per FlixPatrol, so it’s clearly hit a nerve with those who possess an affinity for the ocean.