Is The Surrender Based on a True Story?

Directed by Julia Max, ‘The Surrender‘ tells the story of a mother and daughter duo named Barbara and Megan, whose relationship starts to dwindle in the wake of the intense palliative care needs of Robert, Barbara’s husband. As they increasingly bicker and argue over the best course of action moving forward, Robert passes away one night, leaving a hole in the lives of his loved ones. Desperate to remain in touch, Barbara contacts a strange man to perform a resurrection ritual on Robert, one that Megan is vehemently against. However, realizing that her mother won’t give up the notion of being reunited with her lover, she gives in to her demands, inadvertently inviting a dark presence into the house. To that end, the horror movie taps into the inherent tragedy of grief as it offers a terrifying examination of love, loss, and sacrifice as told through the eyes of family.

The Surrender Explores the Reality of Losing a Parent Through the Occult

Although fictional in its depiction, ‘The Surrender’ is an “incredibly personal project” for writer/director Julia Max, who drafted the story by vaguely drawing from her and her mother’s experiences of losing her stepfather. The movie paints a comprehensive picture of the different stages of grief people encounter when dealing with the loss of their loved ones, loosely basing it on Max’s own accounts, lending more credence to the narrative. However, the project takes a few creative liberties with its supernatural themes, including the presence of a resurrection ritual. The idea for the latter came to Max because her mother hired a death doula during her stepfather’s tenuous ordeal. For the uninitiated, a death doula is an individual who provides support when patients or families face the prospect of death in their immediate vicinity.

“When my mom told me she wanted to hire a death doula, I had no idea what that was. It sounded like a mystical person. I didn’t know what that would entail, but I assumed that it was the reverse of a doula who helps you give birth. I was like, I’m not sure what that looks like, but it feels resurrection-y, right?” Max said in an interview. Despite having some apprehension about the doula’s role in the proceedings, the director stated that it turned out to be a pleasant experience, offering her and her mother the chance to find comfort in the final moments. The real fear in the situation primarily stemmed from a deep-set belief that paying respect to the body by cleansing it and dressing it in a new attire sounded strangely abnormal, providing grounds for a creepy story.

The Surrender Delves Into a Complicated Mother-Daughter Bond

While horror and occult ideas are central to the plot, another important element of ‘The Surrender’ is its focus on a complex parent-child relationship predicated on love, anger, and frustration. The relationship between Barbara and Megan is the heartbeat of the narrative, both in an emotional and spiritual sense. Julia Max tried to peel back the layers of her own bond with her mother when crafting the relationship surrounding her own characters. “For me, my mother and I don’t always see eye to eye, but I do love her and genuinely want to try and support her as much as I can, especially during a difficult situation,” she said. Therefore, the push-and-pull dynamic between Barbara and Megan is essential to the narrative and finds its basis loosely in Max’s own life.

Tackling adversity is part and parcel of every individual’s life. However, these moments are only exacerbated in times of great need, such as the bereavement of a family member. ‘The Surrender’ tries to pose the question – What happens when you are unable to let go of the person you love the most? Because Barbara is unwilling to allow Robert to slip from her clutches, her desperation leads her down a dark path centered on her selfish desires. It prompts queries surrounding parental responsibility and a mother’s duty to her children. While it can be difficult to navigate such treacherous terrains of personal upheaval, the horror movie tries its best to authentically represent the pain, tragedy, and emotions raging within a family when death comes calling.

Amidst the chaos of the narrative, Max looked to channel her story’s frenetic energy through the camera’s focused movements. To that end, she looked at movies like ‘Black Swan’ as an inspiration for her project. Her other cited influences include ‘Jeanne Dielman, 23 Commerce Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles’ and ‘Blue Valentine.’ Despite the dark themes at the heart of the story, the director stated that the movie is aimed to provide catharsis to those seeking absolution and salvation from their pain and past deeds. “I really hope that when people come away from this, they do feel the need to call their loved ones, their friends and families, to say, ‘Hey, I love you. You mean the world to me. I’m so grateful,'” she added. Thus, while it may be a fictional horror movie in conception, it manages to tap into weight subject matters that feel genuine and born out of real-world problems.