Please Note: “The Surrogate” was originally scheduled to premiere at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival. With the express consent of the representatives of the filmmakers, we present the review of the film here.
No one can prepare you for parenting. Despite what you might think, no number of preparatory seminars or hour-long phone calls with your mother properly equips you to care for an unpredictable, volatile infant. Indisputably, child-rearing ranks as one of life’s toughest, least-congratulated tasks, and cinema has appropriately cataloged the fears of parenthood from every angle imaginable, varying from crime comedies (“Raising Arizona,” anyone?) to classic psychological horror (let’s not forget about “The Brood” and “Eraserhead”). Yet, the interpretation of parenting that Jeremy Hersh presents with “The Surrogate,” while bereft of terror, feels incomparably fresh, approaching the subject from a photorealistic, occasionally disturbing point of view.
Historically speaking, surrogacy’s roots trace back to ancient times, but the nontraditional practice continues to raise eyebrows centuries later—a reality that Jess (Jasmine Batchelor) repeatedly encounters upon explaining her situation to strangers and acquaintances alike. As the woman carrying a child for her two gay friends, Josh (Chris Perfetti) and Aaron (Sullivan Jones), the close-knit triad arrives face-to-face with an unexpected dilemma when they discover that their child will likely be born with Down Syndrome, a revelation that impels Jess into action. Should she keep the baby? Is the baby even hers to keep? What does it mean for a child to have a “normal” life?
Disregarding the politics within and behind “The Surrogate,” and evaluating the film strictly from a nonpartisan perspective, Hersh’s debut feature claims the prize as one of the most thought-provoking movies centered about parenting released in recent memory—bar none. Whether you agree with the virtues of its lead characters or not, “The Surrogate” delves so far into the morality of parenthood—with such an unabridged authenticity—that no sum of faults could displace a recommendation.
Merging the lifelike cadence of a documentary with ultra-lean editing, “The Surrogate” never wastes a millisecond of screen time. No ounce of filler or fluff disrupts its relentless narrative flow, permitting the film’s immaculate performances to cascade alongside; no antiquated sum of praise could properly complement Batchelor’s electrifying aura, while Brooke Bloom’s supporting role as Bridget, the mother of a special-needs child whom Jess befriends, shines equally bright. Above anything else, Hersh’s debut proves that micro-budgets do not indicate reduced quality—you will be hard-pressed to locate a mainstream flick released in 2020 that will rival the intelligence and skewed morality of “The Surrogate.”
Admirably, the filmmaking prowess of “The Surrogate” extends beyond style and melts into the film’s substance as well. Debates about the sanctity of life, ownership, class and privilege might not qualify as pioneering ideals to dissect on screen, but Hersh applies an uncertainty to the aforementioned subjects, an indecision that cleverly lures the viewer in as a participant—it is a fantastic sight to behold. Evidenced by the topics at hand, one can easily surmise that the creative team working behind the scenes of “The Surrogate” are remarkably intelligent individuals. Nevertheless, the filmmakers never stoop down to condescension or baby talk—pardon the pun—choosing instead to address the audience as an equally intellectual entity, which permits the film to delve into the subject matter with meritorious maturity.
Still, on occasion, “The Surrogate” comes across as preachy and hypocritical; in particular, the film’s inconsistent double standards dramatically undercut its arguments related to the ethics of terminating a child. Consequently, the film’s persistently clinical, unnervingly detached mood extinguishes any sentiment one could hope to attach to its unsympathetic cast of upper-crust intelligentsia; “The Surrogate” fixates on discussion and critique to the point that it disregards a point of connection, which ultimately alienates its viewers beyond the point of return.
By its conclusion, an abrupt, semi-ambiguous stop, the drama stops shy of imparting a resonant farewell. Although the viewer will—and should—walk away with plenty of talking points to discuss after the credits roll, the permanent memories of “The Surrogate” will likely exist in the ensuing, real-life conversation as opposed to its cinematic catalyst. Even so, imperfections cannot steal away the ambitious underpinnings of Hersh’s intentions for “The Surrogate,” a down-to-earth analysis of the ever-precarious, self-serving human condition; an examination that speaks volumes despite its reserved demeanor. [B]