Goofy versus regular is a time-tested surf media device, and when it comes to stylists Craig Anderson and James Kusitino, the conversation takes on a different aesthetic. The pair’s new film, “The Illusion of Control,” finds them at Cloudbreak, and while we’ve seen a lot from Fiji lately, this new FORMER joint hit different.
It’s that goofy-vs-regular tension that sits at the heart of “The Illusion of Control,” the latest film from Dav Fox, produced with Anderson and FORMER. What began as a project centered on 17-year-old Kusitino’s life and rapid rise to surf stardom evolved into something considerably more interesting: a portrait of Cloudbreak, the community around it, and a new generation of local surfers making their presence felt at one of the world’s most famous waves.
At the center are Kusitino and Anderson, two surfers separated by generations and vastly different backgrounds, yet connected by an unmistakable approach to wave riding. Their back-to-back sections in “Defect” became one of the film’s most talked-about moments. Going deeper, Fox expands that pairing into an unvarnished look at the surfers themselves and the place that brings them together.
And while there’s plenty of the high-performance surfing you’d expect, “The Illusion of Control” is less interested in treating the wave as a backdrop. Instead, Fox gives plenty of space to the voices and characters that make the place what it is, including Teo Dengei, Che Slatter, Jamesa Kunabutu, Semi Kaitabu, Watisoni Dengei Kuralagi, and others.
And that’s what makes the film land. Cloudbreak isn’t simply a wave. It’s a community, a culture, and a living piece of Fijian surfing history. Fox’s camera gets inside that world, capturing the humor, chaos, adventure, and raw talent of the crew. It’s also a fitting tribute to Kusitino’s mother, Ann Kelereani Koroi, who passed away on September 1, 2026.
Put it all together and “The Illusion of Control” feels like considerably more than another Cloudbreak edit. It’s a reminder that, no matter how much we try to control the narrative around a wave, the ocean, and the people who live alongside it, usually have the final say.
Related: Sketchy and Scary: Cloudbreak Goes XXL
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