The Surrogate | SXSW 2020 Film Review

Surrogacy is an extremely complicated topic to broach, as there are so many variables as to what makes for a perfect mesh of vessel (mother carrying the child) and prospective parents (paying all expenses due to a lack of physical means). Many films and TV series have attempted to cover this topic, and it almost always comes down to a debate over whether the birth mother wants to keep her child or still hand it over when he or she arrives. That is where The Surrogate separates itself from the pack entirely, as it delivers a conundrum rarely ever mentioned publicly in modern society.

Jess (Jasmine Batchelor) is a young web designer working for a nonprofit organization in Brooklyn, New York. She is also pregnant with the child of her best friend Josh (Chris Perfetti) and his husband Aaron (Sullivan Jones). This is an agreement of love and friendship; she’ll carry the baby to term for the couple as they cannot do so themselves, and it will be their child after that. It already seems as though it could lead to difficulties in their friendship based on that synopsis alone, yet things get substantially more complicated when genetic testing comes back with a 99% expectation that the child will have Down syndrome.

From here, a debate on morality arrives: does the couple still wish to continue with the birth of this child? It’s an intriguing dilemma, as that question carries with it a heavy weight of follow-up questions. Can the additional care needed be afforded? Do the parents have the available time and patience for a special needs child? Is it even fair to have a child when they will be more or less guaranteed a tougher existence?

Writer-director Jeremy Hersh is working with a minuscule budget and it never shows. If The Surrogate released tomorrow, it would deserve to play in a theater right next to the latest Marvel opus. The script is insightful, daring, and genuine in its approach to such a complicated topic. There is nothing flashy in the direction, this is a fairly straightforward premise, but Hersh’s writing is so intelligently devoid of an “answer” and continually tap dances around any specific point-of-view that everyone walking out of it might have a completely different opinion of what transpired than whomever they saw it with.

The supporting cast all delivered compelling, honest characters struggling with legitimate fears and concerns. Josh and Aaron initially came across as almost flippant in how they arrive at their initial decisions, but as the film surges forward, Perfetti and Jones pepper their characters with humanity and grace, informing us that their actions weighed heavily on the minds of both men. I also cannot say enough about Brooke Bloom’s turn as Bridget, a mother of a child with Down syndrome who informs Jess of the many ups-and-downs regarding raising someone with this affliction. Her performance drips with the sweat of real motherhood and almost comes across as a special needs mom plucked straight off of the street.

All of that said, it is Jasmine Batchelor who dominates the film. As an intelligent person who devotes her life to nonprofits and fighting for the little guy, this is a personal battle for Jess. She is as surprised by the genetic testing as anyone, yet she is determined to explore every option before making any final decisions.

Batchelor has a tricky position, as Jess is just as delightfully charming as she is prone to intensely preaching to others, which does not always make her the most likable character. As we see, Aaron and Josh have very valid concerns that Jess is not readily open to completely hearing, and even Jess’s mother catches a bit of her fiery social justice id. There are a ton of emotions running through this character, and Jasmine Batchelor blows the doors off of the screen each second she is on it, captivating us with every choice and delivery. Most importantly, Jess’s internal battle feels absolutely real, authentic and raw. Which is a testament to the strength of Batchelor’s performance.

Having seen dozens of surrogacy stories over the years, it has always been a topic I personally felt little passion for. Not due to any disdain or lack of empathy, but more that I could not relate to the reasons why when there are so many children in need of adoption and foster care. This film created a dialogue in my mind, it left me desperate for knowledge on the topic, even inspiring me to inquire on ways to contribute to the special needs community. The Surrogate is a wondrous achievement, a film that chooses not to gift us any answers or speak down to anyone with a differing opinion, but instead challenges us to discuss and debate the topic itself in the most civilized manner possible. It’s a film that simply asks you to care about the questions.

Isn’t that exactly what great films should do?