Surrounded

• Directed by Anthony Mandler
• April 2, 2023 (Sun Valley Film Festival) / June 20, 2023 (US)

After the Civil War a freedwoman and former Buffalo Soldier heads West to claim a goldmine disguised as a man.

I often regret watching newer Westerns. All too often they are filled with people that are so terrible you cannot fathom how they can function in any society-real or fictional. The narrative is just two shades of terrible facing off with the least terrible of the two supposedly the hero/good guy of the story. I ask myself why I do it. And I finally have an answer in the form of Surrounded. It’s movies like this that keep me looking for gems in the rough. Not perfect but far and away a better Western than many well financed ones I have watched.

The title alludes to how our main character is surrounded by bigotry and hate and must navigate a hostile environment. Mo Washington (Letitia Wright) is travelling West posing as a man to claim some land. Letitia Wright being somewhat recognizable makes it a little hard to be surprised when it’s revealed that Mo is not a guy. But that’s truthfully a minor issue.

Events of the story are set off when the stagecoach that Mo is riding on (not in) is held up by a group of local outlaws. Things go from bad to worse and Mo is left alone with the gang’s captured leader Tommy Walsh (Jamie Bell) while the survivors head back to town for assistance. From there the baddie tries to screw with Mo’s brain in an effort to escape in one way or another. 

Letitia Wright is not a big person. She’s not even physically strong and what director Anthony Mandler and friends wisely do here is not allow her to easily dispatch opponents with physical force alone. Wright’s character of Mo demonstrates some physical skill but often it’s her brain as well as her ability with a gun that allows her to survive. Intelligence guides the character and the story. She is empowered because she is genuinely strong.

Mo posed as a man to get into the army to not only have money but a level of freedom. She was smart enough to keep her head down and not get caught. What I like is that her character uses her brains throughout. Not just to defeat opponents but to remain hidden. She dresses like a man and speaks only when necessary while letting the racism of the other characters play into her favor. On that note I thought Wheeler (Jeffrey Donovan) kind of knew what was going on but didn’t care though that was never confirmed in any way. Something said that to me in Donovan’s performance.

Our villain Tommy Walsh is a murderous and cold-blooded outlaw. The actor behind him is not as physically imposing as one would typically view as necessary for a major villain but he does very well. He can alternate between being somewhat charming and unnervingly dangerous. Kudos to him for being able to pull it off.

Most of the film is carried by Jamie Bell and Letitia Wright. They are talented performers and under the guidance of director Anthony Mandler create nuanced and engaging characters. With bits of action (though little gunplay) they keep you hooked with their dialogue.

For one reason or another, nobody can be fully trusted in this. They’re either out to kill Mo or are seeking to use her because they are they think she is an easy mark because she’s black or for the few that realize, a woman. They manage to maintain a sense of uncertainty throughout. You don’t know exactly where characters are coming from. You don’t know if a character can be trusted or if Mo will make it out of things okay. It begins with the stagecoach where and solidify that feeling when she encounters the bounty hunter who weaves a plausible enough story that even you the viewer thinks maybe what he says is legit.

I was pleasantly surprised by Surrounded. It’s a well-acted and well written film. Nothing revolutionary but good. A good but not great film that will not be a complete letdown and is how newer Westerns should base themselves.