A bold little project which skilfully and realistically addresses the tough issues of mental and physical illnesses in the unborn, the morality of abortion, as well as the trials, tribulations and dilemmas faced by those seeking to do a good deed by agreeing to the role of a surrogate mother.
While the movie still inevitably channels the ideological undertones of the 2020s social justice movement, it does so without resorting to the so often seen preachy and idealized styles of other similarly themed works.
An example of this innovative take on long-standing social issues can be seen in the fact that the would-be surrogate mother is not providing her services out of financial necessity (being an Ivy League college graduate with a successful career in New York City, as well as the daughter of an Ivy League dean), but rather out of a genuine altruistic will to help a same-sex couple start a family. In another example of the movie's daring style, the same-sex couple which was initially optimistic about the prospect of parenthood, later on begins to be portrayed as playing a rarely seen villainous and morally questionable role. Namely, while most movies tend to present same-sex would-be parents as almost infallible - as devoid of any superficial mindsets or selfish qualities, The Surrogate gives a refreshing dose of emotional and moral depth to such couples, by showing that they are only human too.
