Mark Reviews Movies: SURGE

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Review by Mark Dujsik | September 23, 2021

The protagonist of Surge has problems, to put it mildly. Co-writer/director Aneil Karia makes a confident effort to put us through the rush and discomfort of the consequences of those problems. As for making us care about them or the character himself, that seems inconsequential to the filmmaker.

Joseph (Ben Whishaw) works as an airport security agent in London. He's quiet, shy, seemingly friendless, lonely, and stewing in pent-up and self-destructive feelings. The first act of Rupert Jones, Rita Kalnejais, and Karia's screenplay gives us that general sense of the guy, while making us uncomfortable about specific details and the likely reason behind his anti-social attitude.

We watch Joseph eat cake, which is later revealed to be a birthday cake he brought, with co-workers, who insult it and don't seem to care whose birthday it is. He bites his fork at being ignored. Visiting his parents (played by Ian Gelder and Ellie Haddington), a whole history of neglect, judgment, and scolding over trivial things is suggested, and after being talked down to a few too many times, Joseph bites down on a glass, which shatters in his mouth ("Don't get blood on the carpet," his mother yells).

Whishaw essentially plays two modes here—the silent suffering of a man on the edge and the externalization of that man's id suddenly freed—but performs them both with daring, reckless abandon. Watching Joseph brood feels both tragic and dangerous, and observing as he decides to do whatever he wants, simply because he can, is alternately amusing and frightening. Whishaw's physicality in playing a character who doesn't say much speaks volumes, especially in the way he transfers the rubbery quality of his face to his entire body, as Joseph's day of complete freedom begins.

Basically, he starts robbing banks, has a romantic encounter with a co-worker (played by Jasmine Jobson), and indulges in some hotel room vandalism and wedding crashing—not to mention stealing an ATV and getting into a fistfight. Karia uses multiple long takes that simply follow Joseph and appreciate Whishaw's work. While there's a tantalizing sense of spontaneity to everything, it also feels incredibly shallow.

All of the isolated adventures and moments in Surge leave us with plenty of time to think about Joseph and his breakdown. We're ultimately left with the sense that it means little to anyone or about anything but him.

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