Movie Review: ‘Surprise’

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Review by James Lindorf

On August 13th, Freestyle Digital Media released their latest independent dramedy, “Surprise!” on DVD and VOD. This is the newest project from the writing and producing duo Nate Hapke and Rosie Grace, with Hapke also handling directing duties. The pair have worked together since 2018’s “She & Her.” This time, they have crafted a quirky and overstuffed RomCom with plenty of heart.

Ethan (Bryce Harrow) is under a bit of stress. Not only is he trying to plan a surprise birthday party for his long-time girlfriend Jane (Melanie Thompson), but the party is actually a surprise engagement. Despite his careful planning, things quickly go awry as sucker punches, rivalries, uninvited exes, sick cats, and selfish family members do their best to steal the spotlight. But amidst the chaos, Ethan and Jane’s friends, who are as compassionate as they are chaotic, stand by them, ready to help the couple find their way to a happy ending.

The day starts with some anxiety-inducing party prep, with everything needing to be put in the proper place and at the correct angle to fit Ethan’s vision for the day. Then the doorbell rings for the first of many, many times. The first guests are Ethan’s older brother Mack (Rob Harrow), who secretly resents the fact that his little brother Ethan one-upped him by securing granny’s ring to propose with, and younger brother Clark (Aaron Sanders), who is more interested in hitting on every woman at the party than his duty as photographer. Other guests include the eldest brother Walt (Lee Shorten), Mack’s current girlfriend Ashleigh (Jamie Miller), Mack’s ex-girlfriend Ashley (Charlie Carr), who is there with her own rebound Roger (Justin Sorvillo), and Cait (Marissa Hood), who is experiencing her own relationship drama and the first to deduce that Ethan has more planned than a birthday party.

Characters not named Walt, Ashleigh, or Roger all have something important to add to the story. That core with these peripheral characters would be a strong ensemble cast. However, at least a half dozen other characters make an appearance at the party, including Nate Hapke as Jane’s friend and ex, Ted. All of these people are one-dimensional characters that were added to increase the number of jokes and overall quirkiness of the film. Unfortunately, the majority of the jokes do not land, and they primarily serve as a distraction from the main stories taking place at the party.

Thankfully, the film is at its best when it decides to slow down and focus on common relationship difficulties, such as communication issues, trust, and the weight of the decision to get married. Unlike many characters, the problems plaguing Ethan, Jane, Cait, and Mack are immensely relatable and heartfelt. These converging and contrasting stories would be enough to carry the film. That would raise the movie’s overall rating by focusing on the film’s best actors and limiting or completely removing others. Much like Ethan Hapke and Grace hindered themselves by trying to do much at one time, and while things mostly worked out, “Surprise!” is not a film I plan on spending the rest of my life with after its final score of 2 out of 5.

Genre: Drama
Rating: Unrated but would probably fall in the PG or PG13 range
Original Language: English
Director: Nate Hapke
Producer: Rosie Grace, Nate Hapke, Julia Armine
Screenwriter: Nate Hapke, Rosie Grace
Distributor: Freestyle Digital Media
Production Co: Small/tall Productions
Release Date:: August 13th, 2024
Runtime: 1h 31m