One of the deepest and most difficult love stories there is, the relationship between a mother and daughter can be, at times, a total nightmare. This is perhaps never more apparent than in Julia Max’s The Surrender, in which Colby Minifie (The Boys) and Kate Burton (Grey’s Anatomy) go to hell and back following the death of their family patriarch and an ill-advised attempt to bring him back to life. A movie that’s unafraid to take risks and lets its leads shine in a glaring spotlight, The Surrender occasionally falters in its pacing, but ultimately delivers a fraught family drama replete with gag-inducing body horror and a whole lot of blood. Never losing sight of its complicated core relationship, Shudder’s new horror film is a grim reminder that while your mother might make you want to rip your hair out — or hell, maybe even lop off a few fingers — she’s probably just doing her damn best.
What Is ‘The Surrender’ About?

Directed, written, and produced by Julia Max, The Surrender sees Megan (Minifie) and her mother, Barbara (Burton), reeling after the loss of their father and husband. When Barbara tells Megan that she plans to resurrect him with the help of a mysterious stranger, the mother and daughter go on a dismal trip down memory lane as Megan learns that her father may not have been exactly the man she remembers. When the ritual to bring him back from the dead unsurprisingly goes awry, Megan and Barbara are left with nothing but each other as they try to survive a nightmarish hellscape.
In terms of the fear factor, The Surrender comes in hot and horrifying. The film opens with a truly gruesome shot, paired with equally gruesome sound effects, and Max maintains a masterful control of tension throughout the majority of the film. The movie’s horror ebbs and flows artfully, cutting through despairing family moments with occasional jump scares before building to a sickening second act (albeit a bit too slowly). However, while its horror thrives in ambiguity at times, The Surrender leaves a lot of loose ends. The unresolved ending feels like a fitting resolution (or lack thereof) to the story, but the movie could have benefited from stronger explanations of its occult elements and spine-chilling creatures.
Colby Minifie and Kate Burton Give Themselves Fully to ‘The Surrender’

Image via Shudder

Where the story occasionally falters, The Surrender’s stars never do. Known for her role as Ashley Barrett on The Boys, which consistently proves her ability to throw herself into an all-encompassing frenzy, Colby Minifie is impeccable as Megan. She expertly balances the character’s frustration and devotion towards her mother while leaning fully into the movie’s horror sensibilities with countless guttural screams. In the movie’s quieter moments, her sadness is as powerful as her terror.

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“Respect the balance.”

Kate Burton likewise delivers. With one of her more notable roles being that of Ellis Grey on Grey’s Anatomy, the actress is no stranger to playing impossible mothers housing thinly veiled resentment. Barbara is no exception, and while her insistence on raising the dead is maddening, we still sympathize with her grief and the complicated relationship she still shares with her late husband. While Burton’s portrayal of the character is more intense than nurturing, insightful flashback scenes give us a more well-rounded outlook of Barbara. Chelsea Alden and Pete Ploszek play younger versions of the matriarch and her husband, and in the movie’s climax, their mechanical indifference to the chaos surrounding them makes for a chilling juxtaposition.
The writing between Megan and Barbara falls victim to a few clichés, including the classic “Just go, it’s what you do best!” but the tense relationship between Megan and Barbara still feels realistic — perhaps the most unbelievable moment is when they effortlessly memorize and recite a complex Sumerian chant with little to no preparation. At times, The Surrender feels more like an intimate two-hander than a horror movie, due to the chemistry and intimacy that the two leads build.
‘The Surrender’s Sound Design Enhances the Skin-Crawling Horror

Image Via Shudder

Alongside Minifie and Burton, The Surrender’s sound design is a consistent scene-stealer. Prosthetics and Special Effects Makeup by Sierra Spence and Josh Russell is a fitting accompaniment to sound effects edited by Frank Fussa, and the marriage of sounds and visual effects becomes a nauseating feast for the senses. Gory moments are enhanced by horrific crunches and growls, and in one particularly gnarly scene, Megan and Barbara are made to eat a mysterious morsel which crackles dryly in their gagging throats. Music by Alex Winkler, rife with eerie strings, also adds greatly to the movie’s unsettling atmosphere.
Underneath the complex layers of gore and horror, The Surrender is an emotional story about the seldom-discussed tendency to see our fathers through rose-colored glasses while not allowing our mothers the same courtesy. Colby Minifie and Kate Burton bring the complicated dynamic to life, committing to every skin-crawling moment and blood-curdling scream. An unrelenting and visceral experience, Julia Max’s feature film debut boasts unique and enthralling horror that is more than worthy of haunting your screen as your next Shudder stream.
The Surrender starts streaming on Shudder on May 23.

The Surrender

Colby Minifie and Kate Burton give stellar performances in a unique and sickening horror drama.

Release Date

May 23, 2025

Runtime

95 minutes

Director

Julia Max

Writers

Julia Max

Pros & Cons

Minifie in particular shows off a remarkable range, finding a sweet spot in frustration and abject terror.
The body horror is excellent, made all the better with sickening sound effects
A unique exploration of motherhood and grief.

The build-up to the ritual takes a bit too long.
A deeper explanation of the afterlife and its consequences would have made the story feel more fleshed out.