Title: The Surrogate (2013)
Director: Doug Campbell
Runtime: 89 minutes
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As The Surrogate DVD booted up, I got scared. The previews, and the company’s logo, are roughly VHS quality, and it lowered my expectations for the film greatly. What kind of movie was I getting myself into? The cover art screams The Cradle Will Rock, and let’s be honest, it’s almost the same plot, just a little crazier. Add in The Crush to the mix, and you’ll have a rough idea of what The Surrogate is all about.
Jacob Kelly is a famous author who now teaches college courses. His wife is unable to bear children, and her final embryo is all that’s left, so it’s now or never to find a surrogate to carry their baby. They find an amazing girl named Remy, but one of Jacob’s students has other plans and wants to be the surrogate mother because she is madly in love with Jacob.
What transpires next is fairly typical. There are a few flaws in logic when it comes to the small amount of bodies that start to pile up. However, the entire final act is just crazy beyond belief. I just couldn’t believe the story did what it did, and then the terrible ending happened, leaving a slightly sour taste in my mouth.
I’m unsure if this was a made for TV movie or not, but there is one moment in the film where there is an awkward “made for TV” edit. In one minute, the couple is talking, and then the next second there is a quick, black flash, and the scene changes entirely. It almost feels like there should have been a commercial in between the two scenes so it made more sense.
Cameron Mathison, of All My Children fame, stars as Jacob, and does a nice job. In fact, everyone does a well enough job with the material they are given to work with. Amy Scott is really good as our creepy surrogate, though, and I really believed she was batshit crazy when she revealed her plot to Jacob.
Maybe I’ve watched too many Ayslum films, and I just don’t know what a bad movie is anymore, but I almost enjoyed The Surrogate. Sure, it’s nothing new, or even all that exciting, but it’s competently made, nicely acted, and moves quickly with only an 89-minute runtime. If nothing else, I really want to go re-watch those crazy ‘90s films that inspired this new twist on the tale.
The Surrogate (2013) was released on DVD by MTI Home Video on July 15th, 2014. It was directed by Doug Campbell and written by Ken Sanders, Barbara Kymlicka, and Doug Campbell. The film is 89 minutes in length, and is not rated. Cinefessions was provided a DVD copy of the film for review from MTI Home Video.
Chris was raised on horror films, which gave him a deep love for the genre, especially its most quirky and offbeat titles (like A Nightmare on Elm Street 2). This love quickly turned into an obsession for cinema in 1997, when he decided he needed to see every major theatrical release. Video games (JRPGs), reading (anything but fantasy), and reality television (Survivor) are just some of his other passions. He’s been with Cinefessions since 2013, and has been writing reviews all over the internet for the past twelve years.
