The horror genre has always been a place to showcase the everyday struggles of humankind through a macabre lens. The new film The Surrender explores the interpersonal dynamics of a family unit as they deal with the death of their patriarchal figure. Tropes of demons, ghosts, and paranormal rituals gone wrong come together to tell an intimate story with broader social connections. Yet, the film stops all too short of diving into these social implications, settling instead on familiar territory, resulting in a compelling horror story that leaves some of its potential not fully realized.
Directed, written, and produced by Julia Max, the film tells the story of a tense mother-daughter relationship put to the test when the head of the family dies. The grieving mother, Barbara, hires a mysterious stranger to bring back her dead husband. Daughter Megan, skeptical and still dealing with family mental baggage that has yet to be unpacked, attempts to be there for her mother while also coming to terms with her father’s very recent passing. The horrifying resurrection ritual spirals out of control, however, leaving the pair to contend with the deadly consequences.
The strongest aspect of The Surrender is the powerful acting of our two leads. Colby Minifie (Megan) and Kate Burton (Barbara) give intense performances, bringing layers to their characters that are at the heart of the film. Megan is a young woman who has long held an idealized view of her father and a more contentious stance toward her mother. She’s attempted to have a life of her own but has guilt for doing so, feeling as if she wasn’t there enough for her family in their time of need as her father grew sick.
Barbara is the dutiful wife whose identity has grown so intensely tied to her husband that she is willing to defy the laws of nature to bring him back to the land of the living. Her relationship with her daughter is strained for a variety of reasons, and she seemingly feels resentment towards Megan for not being there more when her husband fell ill.
The combative mother-daughter dynamic isn’t exactly groundbreaking territory, but Minifie and Burton bring a fresh take to it by balancing out moments of frustration with grim understanding and co-dependency. The emotions are neither all bad nor all good—they are complex, like most of life and how we relate to others.
The issue arises when the audience is treated to only glimpses of the past that greatly influenced this dynamic and the characters’ viewpoints. Burton and Minifie show through their actions that there’s more going on, but the film never allows for that deeper exploration in the script and plot points.
Why is Barbara’s identity so closely tied to her husband? What dreams and goals outside of her marriage and her child did she give up to assume the roles of mother and wife? Why does Megan give more leeway to her father’s shortcomings while being more critical of her mother’s? What has triggered Megan’s guilt for attempting to have her own life away from the assumed default role of caregiver for her ailing father? Interestingly enough, the film hints at these moments where those questions become present, but it’s subtle to the point of being easily missed.
And what exactly is the culprit? Well, like many hardships in our society, one can trace it to capitalism. In this particular scenario, capitalism has come to shape the family unit in often disastrous ways—particularly for women.
One of the earliest detailed explanations of this phenomenon is in the book The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State by political theorist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist Friedrich Engels. In the book, Engels argued that before capitalism, societies were organized differently, with property held communally. The rise of capitalism and private property brought about the rise of the modern family structure.
He viewed the nuclear family (a couple and their dependent children) as a tool for maintaining property relations and reinforcing male dominance—as men are usually seen as the heads of the household, making many of the decisions, particularly those on money.
Engels saw the nuclear family as inherently patriarchal, with women’s roles defined by domesticity and dependence on men. He argued that the family structure allowed for the legal and social subordination of women, thus ensuring that they did not challenge the existing social order or the male dominance within the family—and society as a whole.
Now, it may seem like a reach to make this connection to a horror movie about a strained mother-daughter relationship trying to bring back a dead male head of household, but it really isn’t. Director Max makes the great choice of highlighting moments where we see a younger version of Barbara seemingly giving up her career goals because her husband doesn’t see it as a priority. We’re treated to childhood memories redefined as Megan’s past is revealed to have been more influenced by her father than initially thought.
Money and who controls it comes into play in the film as well. We are shown that there is more to this story than yet another overcontrolling mother clashing with an anxiety-filled daughter. Yet, the glimpses we get are fleeting. In the end, it’s boiled down to the individual, mainly ignoring the societal influences that the film itself alluded to throughout.
Aside from this missed opportunity, there are quality scares to relish in. The movie is more atmospheric than constant blood and gore, with much of the overt horror taking place in the latter half of the film. The ending is also open to interpretation, which may annoy viewers who like more concrete, less debatable outcomes.
Overall, The Surrender is a fine story with even finer acting performances. The themes it brings to the table could have been explored on a deeper level, but it can nonetheless be used as a means for discussion by those viewers who want to dig deeper.
The Surrender will begin streaming on Shudder on May 23, 2025.
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