Surrogates (2009)

The most widely celebrated English translation of the Bible is the King James Version. Leviticus chapter 18, verse 22 of that translation reads: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”

I have very little doubt that director Adrian Chiarella chose the title for this film with the purpose of reminding us of that verse.  Leviticus is not necessarily an anti-religion movie, but it is furious with the homophobic practices endorsed by Christianity, and lays the blame at the feet of both church leadership and church membership. 

That fury is not evenly distributed throughout the film. Instead, it oscillates between several different modes. Sometimes, yes, it’s a political statement; other times, it’s a heart-pounding horror-thriller, and at other times, it’s a touching coming-of-age film. Chiarella balances all of these different modes beautifully, if not perfectly, to deliver the best horror film of the year. In 2026, that’s saying something.