Science fiction is a genre of ideas, but Hollywood studios often forget this when producing their own science fiction films, giving more focus on explosions and bug-eyed monsters. However, every now and then, a film emerges that attempts to engage the viewer's intellect, such as ?Surrogates, a 2009 science fiction thriller directed by Jonathan Mostow, produced by Touchstone Pictures.
Based on the acclaimed 2006 graphic novel by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele, the plot is set in a future year of 2017, in which technology has advanced to such a degree that 97 percent of Americans never leave their homes. Instead, they opt for robot-like replicas of themselves, known as "surrogates," to carry out their work and social lives. This includes law enforcement, such as Boston-based FBI agent Tom Greer (played by Bruce Willis). When two surrogates are destroyed by a mysterious device, resulting in the previously unimaginable deaths of their human operators, Greer must investigate the first murders in years. One of the victims was the son of Dr. Lionel Canter (played by James Cromwell), inventor of surrogates who became critical of VSI, company that produces and operates them. As the investigation unfolds, Greer discovers a connection with the military and an extremist "humans only" movement led by Prophet (played by Ving Rhames). During the investigation, Greer's surrogate is destroyed, and he must solve the case the hard way, in person.
Surrogates is a relatively short film, with only an hour and a half of running time, but the scriptwriters, John Brancato and Michael Farris, known mostly for their poorly received attempts to continue Terminator saga, try to cover a lot of ground. The premise, like Gamer, which was released at the same time, is inspired by present-day trends of people preferring online activities to real life.
Compared to Gamer, Surrogates is a more conventional, serious, and polished effort, balancing exposition of the strange future world and the consequences of new technology with an old-school murder mystery and well-directed action. However, the setting of this brave new world so close in the future seems unrealistic, and the ending, like so many failed science fiction dystopias, features a world-changing event based on a single individual affecting centralised structures.
Surrogates appears prophetic in terms of people preferring online avatars to their real selves, but the whole concept of using expensive, clunky, and possibly dangerous robots seems dated when compared to social media manipulation or Instagram filters. Jonathan Mostow's solid direction, use of Boston locations, and notably Bruce Willis's performance make the film stand out. Willis appears as the idealized, made-up, or digitally de-aged icon of his past in the first part of the film, but reveals his true self as a tired and visibly aged man in the second part.
Rosamund Pike, a beautiful British actress, plays Willis's wife, looking perfect in her surrogate version. Pike's performance is excellent, and it's somewhat ironic that she has to be made up to look scarred and unattractive when playing the real-life version of the same character. However, the design of the surrogates might be too off-putting for today's viewers, accustomed to CGI graphics assisted by AI. The robots seem not only too robotic but almost doll-like, making Surrogates at times resemble a puppet show.
Despite its flaws and missed opportunities, Surrogates is a good science fiction film that deserves much more attention than its relatively obscure reputation might suggest. It offers more than mere entertainment; it prompts viewers to reflect on their relationship with technology and what it means to be human in an increasingly digital world.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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