Aneil Karia’s frenetic debut feature Surge is exactly that, a thrusting, pulsating journey through the city.
Joseph (Ben Whishaw) is a London airport security worker. Struggling with the boredom, loneliness and mundanity of his everyday existence he feels disconnected from society, at the same time smothered by the uncaring anonymity of the city. Even his parents seem distant, constantly criticising him which adds to his feeling of disappointment and lack of self-worth.
One day he reaches breaking point. He snaps and embarks on a rampant, chaotic spree of unrestrained recklessness. Pin-balling off a self-perpetuating barrage of incendiary backdrops, Joseph careers headlong into a spiralling, turbulent state of violent confrontation. It is a visceral and compelling cry for help, pushing social extremes in order to feel truly alive for a moment.
Stuart Bentley’s cinematography in Surge uses a liberal amount of divisive close-up shots, tight framing and long takes. It is effectively juxtaposed with the vast opacity of the city and the emptiness of peoples’ lives within it.
Whishaw gives a potent and erratic performance, showing his range and adventurous choice of roles, in addition to his more recognisable nuanced and considered acting qualities. The scenes focusing more on interaction and dialogue are best shown through the relationship between Joseph and his parents, full of passive-aggression and resentment. These moments do offer the film some grounding but, although helpful in illustrating the characters’ psyche, they also have a tendency to overrun, particularly the scene between mother (Ellie Haddington) and son towards the end, which would have benefitted from being a little shorter.
All this could have the potential to ramble on. Moving unrelentingly from one scenario to the next might easily become wearisome or, ironically, predictable. Fortunately, though, the growing intensity of each set piece is sufficiently sustained. The atmosphere is constantly charged, and with a somewhat voyeuristic fascination, you genuinely want to see what happens next.
A surreal and liberating rampage through London
Movie title: Surge
Movie description: An airport security worker reaches breaking point and embarks on a surreal and liberating rampage through London.
Date published: May 28, 2021
Country: United Kingdom
Duration: 105 minutes
Director(s): Aneil Karia
Actor(s): Ben Whishaw , Ellie Haddington , Ian Gelder , Jasmine Jobson
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Thomas is a musician, writer and film enthusiast with a broad taste in films, from Big Night to The Big Combo. When he isn’t immersed in these activities his passions extend to the kitchen and food.
