Zurawski v Texas is an urgently essential watch, detailing the agonizing and life-threatening realities many women in The United States of America are forced to endure.

In 1969, Texas resident Norma McCorvey (“Jane Roe”) became pregnant with her third child. McCorvey challenged the state’s district attorney, Henry Wade, declaring Texas’ then abortion laws were unconstitutional. This landmark case resulted in what we now know as Roe v. Wade, where in 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled that individual state laws prohibiting abortion were indeed unconstitutional. 

On June 23, 2002, SCOTUS in a 5-4 decision, overruled Roe, thus returning the power of determining the legal right for a woman to receive an abortion back to the individual states. Back in Texas, a trigger law was enacted in August of 2023, making abortion illegal after six weeks and allowing no exceptions for pregnancies that resulted from rape or incest. The law however is written using vague terminology that even if maintaining a pregnancy would result in the mother dying, the legality of performing an abortion remains unclear to doctors throughout the state. 

As a result, women throughout Texas are, quite literally, forced to carry non-viable pregnancies, or travel out of the state to receive care if they have the financial means to do so. Zurawski v Texas, the documentary, shares the brave trials of three women that survived unthinkable journeys due to Texas’ vague restrictions. Lead plaintiff, Amanda Zurawski nearly lost her life after becoming septic due to doctors informing her they could not perform a necessary abortion after losing her daughter. Some may remember Amanda’s appearance at this year’s Democratic National Convention alongside her husband, Josh. Samantha Casiano tragically learned at her 20-week ultrasound that her fetus had zero chance of survival after birth. Casiano was then forced to carry her baby to term due to being unable to afford to leave the state to receive an abortion, and as a result, had to watch her baby girl suffer in agony the entirety of her four short hours of being alive. Dr. Austin Dennard, a practicing OB-GYN had, and was able to flee the state to obtain an abortion after her pregnancy was diagnosed with a life threatening condition. 

Joining these brave women is their attorney, Molly Duane, and her incredible team at the Center for Reproductive Rights. Duane, a mother herself, is determined for the state to clarify the full scope of Texas’ medical emergency exception under its current abortion ban. The film doesn’t shy away from the emotional toll the trial takes on not just the three plaintiffs, but Duane. “Determined” seems like an understatement for the amount of work she is putting into bringing back basic rights for pregnant people to regain access to medical care not just in Texas, but to every state mandating similar laws. 

Perhaps the film’s strongest asset is the unflinching footage of the trials and testimonies provided by Zurawski, Casiano, and Dr. Dennard. It is uncensored, allowing the viewer to hear exactly what the judge and state attorneys did first-hand. The graphic details are difficult to accept as a reality for many women, with even the assigned judge showing physical signs of being uncomfortable. Casiano, at one point, becomes physically ill on the stand while sharing her experience. Dr. Dennard points out the internal hypocrisy she feels as a provider of having the privilege to leave the state to provide care while some of her own patients cannot. The idea of any audience member walking away from this film being unmoved by these testimonies is hard to fathom, but unfortunately the country wouldn’t be in this current predicament if that wasn’t the case. 

However, despite feeling incredibly moved, frustrated, and empathetic towards these three women and an appreciation for their attorney, the film regrettably felt near surface level. For such a relevant and life-threatening discussion, a documentary such as this should go deeper into the intersectional layers a topic such as access to abortion requires. The looming elephant in the room remains that while this case has rightfully captured nationwide attention, the lead plaintiff is a blonde, financially well off, white woman. In fact, many of the plaintiffs on the Zurawski v Texas case that are not featured in this film are also white, with Casiano being one of the few exceptions. 

Any viewer that keeps up with the American political world would be remiss to not be reminded of Amber Thurman, a mother in Georgia who lost her life to septic shock after being unable to receive an abortion due to the state’s strict laws. Thurman is just one example of the disproportionate and undercounted number of black and non-white women in this country that are victims of medical mal-practice. While this documentary and the titular case existed before Thurman’s story made national headlines, this is not an isolated incident. 

Alongside the institutional racism is the class disparity, the United States is already known for having less than desirable access to health care, with millions of citizens being uninsured. As previously mentioned, the documentary does briefly mention that many women cannot afford to leave their state to receive medical care, but why not go deeper into pointing out the evil that the monsters holding the power (Attorney General Ken Paxton, amongst others) try to suppress these facts? It does not minimize one’s pain and suffering to acknowledge that many are doing so without the necessary support, resources, and validation. This documentary is indeed just focusing on one case, but it must serve as a starting point for audience members to demand legalized protections and accessible medical care for all pregnant women, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or economic background. 

Despite lacking substance for some aspects, Zurawski v Texas is an urgently essential watch, detailing the agonizing and life-threatening realities many women in The United States of America are forced to endure. With this upcoming election, it is crucial that every eligible voter

does their part to ensure elected officials act within the best interest of protecting women like Amanda Zurawski, Samantha Casiano, Dr. Austin Dennard, and like Amber Thurman.

Grade: B+

Oscars Prospects:
Likely: Best Documentary Feature
Should be Considered: Best Documentary Feature

Where to Watch: In Select Theaters