Surrogates (2009) is a sci-fi thriller set in a future where most people live their lives through remote-controlled robotic avatars called surrogates. These machines allow humans to experience the world without leaving their homes, offering perfect appearances and safety from harm. Society has become dependent on this technology, creating a seemingly utopian world with little crime or danger, but at the cost of genuine human interaction.
The story centers on FBI agent Tom Greer, who is investigating a rare case of murder in a world where crime is nearly nonexistent. The victims include the son of Dr. Lionel Canter, the inventor of surrogate technology, raising the stakes of the investigation. As Greer digs deeper, he uncovers a conspiracy that threatens the entire surrogate system and reveals that someone is capable of killing both the surrogate and the human operator remotely.
Forced to continue the case without his surrogate after an attack, Greer experiences the real world for the first time in years. This journey reconnects him with his physical self and highlights the emotional emptiness that surrogate life has created. He becomes increasingly disturbed by how disconnected people have become from reality and begins to question the ethics of living through machines.
In the climax, Greer discovers a plot to shut down all surrogates permanently. With the power to either stop or allow it, he chooses to end the surrogate network, believing humanity must face life directly to truly live. As the surrogates shut down, people step outside in their real bodies, some for the first time in years, beginning a new chapter of authentic human experience.