‘The Surrender’ (Shudder) Non-Spoiler Review – A Contemplative Feature Filmmaking Debut

Every so often, a Shudder film tackles the grieving process, i.e., denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. After all, the streaming platform is filled with many horror titles, and that genre deals with death in one way or another. Films like Tyler MacIntyre and Michael Kennedy’s It’s a Wonderful Knife and Benjamin Barfoot’s Daddy’s Head attempt to depict this process with creativity. Unfortunately, it’s tough to discover perfect storytelling of this sort—narratives that are well-written and simultaneously provide a brilliant cinematic style. Julia Max’s feature filmmaking debut, The Surrender, is another new Shudder title to attempt that objective. Ultimately, it’s a purposeful slow-burn in two or three acts, yet its attempt still results in a troubling narrative.

The Surrender is written, directed, and produced by Julia Max.

In this review, I will discuss The Surrender. As this article’s title suggests, no spoilers will be present.

Shudder’s The Surrender Synopsis

According to Shudder Press, here is the official synopsis for Julia Max’s horror thriller film, The Surrender.

A fraught mother-daughter relationship is put to a terrifying test when the family patriarch dies, and the grieving mother hires a mysterious stranger to bring her husband back from the dead. As the bizarre and brutal resurrection spirals out of control, both women must confront their differences as they fight for their lives – and for each other.

Shudder Press

Discussion

Through The Surrender, Julia Max has much to say about the dying and grieving process. I haven’t wholly seen this process myself, but do empathize with grief, having lost a few grandparents over eighteen years. The film’s death doula, who goes by “the man” (Neil Sandilands), takes the main character, Megan (Colby Minifie), and her mother, Barbara (Kate Burton), through the process about forty minutes into the runtime. Again, this movie is slow-paced, so going from the opening beat to the last takes an emotionally strenuous ninety minutes and then some to power through.

Music composer Alex Winkler’s soundtrack is a key facet, bringing me back to familiar horror tragedies such as Ari Aster’s Hereditary and Midsommar. In scenes, the score enhances Megan’s grief and magnifies the true terror at stake. “Of You” by The Human Beinz is a recurring track throughout the film, accentuating the mood and tone of The Surrender‘s narration. I wish I could say more about the song’s part here, but for some reason, I cannot seem to locate its lyrics online.

Production designer Tahryn Justice Smith, art director Conor Brown, and set decorator Lola Prince Kelly do a fine job of assisting Max in confining the story to the household. Patriarch Robert’s (Vaughn Armstrong) home office, the family’s pristine kitchen with an island, their spacious backyard, and Megan’s parents’ bedroom are each used with successful intent. There is only one small scene at the beginning wherein Megan ventures out of the house in a bout of almost dramatic escapade. Other than that, I love how the home environment is exploited, especially in the concluding sequence, wherein she peels away at a labyrinth-like past.

Contemplation and Misinformation

Max states of horror: “Life is scary. And horror movies give us a safe place to exercise those fears and seek catharsis.” For a horror thriller, the filmmaker builds up to the terror with nightmares and reveries of the spirits haunting Megan. The Surrender tests her ability to cope with loss and whether she can handle enduring a world without the parents who brought her into it. As the plot unravels, the film lives up to its title, with Megan confronted with giving herself up to powerful presences. For example, she comes to understand that her parents have fought for control within the household and later seeks closure at a time deemed necessary.

With Megan’s rumination comes a sense of sentimentality via memory and possessions. However, for a horror film, The Surrender is more about the personal value attached to physical objects and less a concern of spirits vying to occupy the human body. Max is right to paint Megan as somebody who can detect unusual activity at home. The possible sounds of rats within the walls and her suspicions of eyes watching her in times of darkness are her conscious steps in keeping in touch with reality. More so, the symbolism of birds in flight or immobile is clever. It’s a rare occurrence that conveys the harsh disparity between life and death, perhaps indicative of the fight-or-flight trauma response.

More vital to the narrative is the subplot surrounding Barbara heeding the incredible advice of her off-screen friend, Deborah. Today, people are at an epoché wherein they will absorb information from odd sources, e.g., Facebook and now “X”. For Barbara to divide her trust between ritual practices and her daughter is a challenge in and of itself. Her goal isn’t the problem but rather her means of reaching it. The subplot is subtle in making the movie more than it appears to be.

The Crew Behind The Surrender

Cailin Yatsko serves as the director of photography. Isaak van der Meulen is the gaffer. Zachary Emick and John Fisher are additional gaffers.

Sushila Love (On My Block, Ms. Marvel) is the editor.

Brent McReynolds (FX’s Fargo Season 2, Shameless, Mike White’s The White Lotus Season 1, Silent Night) is the additional editor. Andrea Espinoza (Sam Levinson’s Euphoria Season 2, The Idol, The Studio) is the assistant editor.

Alex Winkler scores the musical composition. Adam Bennati (Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities) serves as the music supervisor.

AJ Pyatak serves as the supervising sound editor. Frank Fussa is the sound effects editor.

Eric Dawson (Dark Angel, Odyssey 5, Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, Generation, The Boys, Gen V), Carol Kritzer (Dark Angel, Odyssey 5, Battlestar Galactica, Jeremy Slater’s The Exorcist, Supernatural, Generation, The Boys, Gen V), and producer Robert J. Ulrich (Dark Angel, Odyssey 5, Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, Generation, The Boys, Gen V) serve as the casting directors.

Co-producers Brenden Rodriguez (The Boys, Gen V) and Daniel Schwab (The Boys Season 3) serve as the casting associates.

Alex Terzieff (Twilight, Big Little Lies, Unpregnant, Kimi, Barbie) serves as the stunt coordinator. Mahsa Ahmadi and Talyn Edelson are the additional stunt performers.

Talya Klein is the intimacy coordinator.

Tahryn Justice Smith (V/H/S/99) serves as the production designer. Conor Brown serves as the additional art director. Lola Prince Kelly is the set decorator and additional prop master.

Jacob Kosarian serves as the costume designer. Bunny Armendariz is the key hair and makeup artist. Devin Bianchini and Tess Marie are the additional hair and makeup artists.

Sierra Spence and Josh Russell are the prosthetics and special effects makeup.

The Cast of The Surrender

Colby Minifie (Jessica Jones Season 1, Fear the Walking Dead, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, The Boys, Gen V) plays Megan. Alaina Pollack plays a young Megan.

Kate Burton plays Barbara. Chelsea Alden plays a young Barbara.

Vaughn Armstrong plays Robert. Pete Ploszek plays a young Robert.

Mia Ellis plays Nikki.

Associate producer Riley Rose Critchlow plays Lacy.

Lola Prince Kelly plays Alexa.

Neil Sandilands plays “the man”.

Character Developments and Performances

It might just be a fine time for the state of movies to see lesser-known actors like Minifie take on leading roles. Watching her cement her role as Ashley Barrett in The Boys has been great, so to watch what she does as The Surrender‘s Megan showcases promise in her acting career following what will soon be that show’s end. As the lead character, Minifie navigates through different emotions—baffling anger, hesitant anxiety, helpless numbness, and painful melancholy. I love Megan’s little and huge arguments with Barbara, who throws the dynamic off-balance when Robert eventually passes. Megan does wonderfully at wrestling with her psyche and her reality, that is, how she lacks confidence in approaching adulthood alone.

Burton delivers a solid performance to parallel Minifie, hence making Deborah a stand-out foil to Megan. The mother figure plays a desperate role in wanting to keep the family intact. Sadly, everyone in this day and age should know that that is no easy feat. Deborah represents parents who claim to know better and then find out how harsh the outcomes can look. It’s also funny when she talks about “calculated risk” without any evidence of having done extensive research. Conversely, Burton’s words of love are an interesting key aspect of Deborah’s humanity and resilience thereof to gaining back what she’s lost.

Final Thoughts on The Surrender

Julia Max’s supernatural horror thriller is not what I expected after reading its premise. The cult-like mindset and the invitation of outsiders are what I assume would take the front seat. Director of photography Cailin Yatsko is quite keen with the camera, whether it’s shooting the front door or concentrating on Megan’s wounds. Moreover, The Surrender is focused on how carefulness and carelessness can go hand-in-hand. It’s one thing to attend to word of mouth, but it’s another thing not to take one’s beloved into consideration. While the narration is nice enough, the act structure and plot beats are not enough to drive this movie to perfection. Still, there is a lot to say about what may occur once one accepts loss.

4/5 stars

Julia Max’s The Surrender is now streaming via Shudder!

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