The Surrender
The Surrenderis a journey.
Writer-director Julia Max creates a tense atmosphere that is ripe with conflict.
The Surrendertackles intergenerational trauma in its dissection of Megan and Barbara.
She feels needed whenever he calls out to her in pain.
Theres clearly a lot of tension between the two, and Barbara is particularly bitter about Megans return.
At the same time, Barbaras relationship with Robert, which initially seems loving, takes a darker turn.
The film is ultimately a meditation on grief and the ways in which trauma affects how the characters grieve.
The film is at its best when Megan and Barbara are verbally sparring.
Their frustrations and fury are embedded into the narrative and the actors performances.
Colby Minifie is especially good as she teeters between disbelief and care, fear and horror.
Colby Minifie is especially good as she teeters between disbelief and care, fear and horror.
Kate Burton is equally good, though she has less to work with in terms of Barbaras characterization.
It undermines a bit of what came before, though it doesnt completely erase it.
Minifie and Burton are tremendous in a film that requires them to give more than theyre given.
The Surrenderpremiered at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival.
