The Surrender

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The Surrender

Released May 23

1h 39m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

37 Reviews

51%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

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.

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Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (LAist)

It's a very strong strong directorial debut... It's really fun to watch as an acting exercise, too.

Jun 3, 2025

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Simon Abrams

RogerEbert.com

“The Surrender” accomplishes a lot with a sketch-sized story and matching compositional agility and precision. It’s short (less than 90 minutes!) and sweet and the best kind of upsetting.

Rated: 3/4

May 23, 2025

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

AWFJ.org

The Surrender is a solid horror film, but where it truly excels is in its wholly singular, authentic and deeply empathetic portrait of palliative caregiving, which – as anyone who has ever done it knows – is a nightmare in and of itself

May 18, 2025

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Julian Singleton

Cinapse

With its nuanced and deliberate approach to horror, The Surrender is quietly one of the standouts of SXSW 2025’s impressive Midnighter lineup.

Jul 11, 2025

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Lyra Hale

Fangirlish

[...] if you’re here for an exploration of grief and the lengths that we are willing to go in the name of that grief, The Surrender is for you.

Rated: B

Jun 10, 2025

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Erik Childress

Movie Madness Podcast

The film is at its best when sticking within the real world where familial bonds and memories are tested. Colby Minifie meets the moment of the outlandish emotional demands of the situation which are not fully rewarded with the supernatural elements.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 3, 2025

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Ed O

Cool premise, great suspense (up to a point) and supreme acting. Sadly the third act got swept away in a tiresome mudstream of random horror tropes and hamfisted clichés.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/28/25

Full Review

Hugo S

A grieving mother and daughter hire a mysterious man to resurrect the family’s patriarch. The bizarre ritual goes terribly wrong as both women end up being trapped in a realm dominated by malevolent supernatural forces. They have one last chance to reconcile their differences and heal their traumatic relationship. "The Surrender" is a gruesome examination of how two characters process their grief over the death of a beloved one as they take extreme measures to reverse their loss. Set in a single location, the movie leverages its full potential with its tense atmosphere and strong performances.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/23/25

Full Review

Justus F

Really slow buildup for minimal effect, unfulfilling movie to say the least

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

06/17/25

Full Review

Jerod S

When dad dies, mom and sister let a strange shaman kinda dude come to raise the dead. It's creepy and great until the last 15 or so minutes when the sinister disappears and the ending leaves you hanging.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/17/25

Full Review

Iamwhoi M

Pointless, unfulfilling movie.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/08/25

Full Review

Rose A

Outstanding directorial debut!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/06/25

Full Review

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Julia Max

Director

Colby Minifie

Megan

Kate Burton

Barbara

Neil Sandilands

The Man

Vaughn Armstrong

Robert

Mia Ellis

Actor

The Surrender: Trailer 1

1:24

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Synopsis

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.

Director: Julia Max
Producer: Julia Max, Mia Chang, Lovell Holder, Ian McDonald, Robert J. Ulrich
Screenwriter: Julia Max
Distributor: Shudder
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 23, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2025
Runtime: 1h 39m

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