SURRENDER, THE

(director/writer: Julia Max; cinematographer: Cailin Yatsko; editor: Sushita Love; music: Alex Winkler; cast: Colby Minifie (Megan), Kate Burton (Barbara), Vaughn Armstrong (Robert), Riley Rose Critchlow (Lacey), Neil Sandilands (unnamed man); Runtime: 90; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Mia Chang, Lovell Holder, Julia Max, Ian McDonald, Robert J. Ulrich; Codependeny Films; 2025-Canada/USA)

“An unsettling atmospheric supernatural horror pic.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

The debut feature of writer/director Julia Max is an unsettling atmospheric supernatural horror pic dealing with grief and tragedy, and is woven around the scares it induces. But the screenplay never elevates this sad story to any heights and the film never explodes onscreen because its story is disjointed and not believable.


Megan (Colby Minifie) and her overbearing mother, Barbara (Kate Burton), look after the dying patriarch Robert (Vaughn Armstrong) providing hospice care in their home. Barbara seeks to prolong Robert’s life and implores a mystic (Neil Sandilands) during a seance to bring Robert back from the dead.

Megan reluctantly goes along with her mother in her most intensive occult remedy designed to take them to the afterlife and resurrect Robert back from the dead. 

The film becomes weird, implausible and sketchy when Robert comes back to life, and his rebirth becomes messy.

Aside from some terrifying imagery of the other side, its metaphysical twist left me in the dark.

It played at the SXSW Film Festival.

REVIEWED ON 3/19/2025  GRADE: C+
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