SXSW Interview with Colby Minifie and Julia Max for The Surrender

March 9, 2025 thextramile 0 Comments colby Minifie, Julia Max, South by southwest, SXSW, The boys, The Surrender

Join us live from SXSW as we sit down with the cast and crew of The Surrender! Writer and director Julia Max, along with star Colby Minifie, take us behind the scenes of this gripping horror film. One deeply personal and inspired by real-life experiences. Julia shares how grief itself became the perfect foundation for horror, while Colby opens up about tackling one of the film’s most emotionally intense scenes.

Plus, we discuss the bittersweet wrap of The Boys after seven incredible years and what’s next for Colby in her artistic journey.

Don’t miss this exclusive interview on The Surrender, an unforgettable exploration of loss, tension, and the unspoken truths between loved ones.

TEM (The Extra Mile) : I’m very curious because this is a film I know is very near and dear to your heart. It’s based on a little bit of a true story, and it came from a very raw and genuine place.What inspired you to make this a horror film?

Julia: That’s a great question. Basically, I think the process of grief is horrific and terrifying, so it feels perfect for the horror genre. My stepfather comes to me and my mom hired a Deaf doula to come and lead us through that process. I had no idea what that was. I, of course, immediately assumed the worst, and that is exactly what this film is. Thank god it was not actually a horror film.

TEM: Colby, my question for you is, when we get to the scene in the foyer before the man arrives and everything comes out onto the table, how did you approach that scene? What did that feel like for you? And what was the difference in when you were acting through the first half and cutting things out, and then having that release?

Colby: Great. That scene actually was really tricky for us. I think it was the hardest one that we shot. I think it’s because of exactly what you’re talking about, actually. I’m putting it together right now in my head. Subconsciously, it is very hard to say to somebody that you love everything, the absolute truth about your relationship with them. The things that you don’t say, the things you might talk about in therapy or the things you might discover with your friends, and then saying those things to the person, it’s an impossible thing to do most of the time. It’s a really hard thing to do. I think for us, subconsciously, we might have been having a hard time. We were struggling with the blocking of it. We were struggling with certain lines in it. We were struggling with how to figure out how to get the boiling point to the absolute most boily before the man comes, knocks on the door, breaks the whole thing open. I think that’s probably why. It’s because it’s really hard to say those things to your family. As an actor, it’s juicy and delicious. It’s not hard at all. It feels really yummy, but maybe that’s just because I’m sick.

TEM: The last thing that I’ll ask you Colby, we’re from Toronto and we love the Boys. Unfortunately, though, it’s coming to an end. I want to know how you’re feeling with this massive chapter in your life on wrapping up now.

Colby: It’s kind of crazy that it’s been seven years. It’s crazy. It’s a job that I didn’t know would last seven years. We’re so excited to be there. We’re so excited to be together. I’m going to miss Toronto. I’m going to miss all of those people. But I also am very excited to see what’s next. We shot The Surrender in August of this past year, and getting to do this movie in between the seasons of The Boys, it was really satisfying to me. It was really actually important for my artistic health, because when you’re on a show this long, you’re like, the tone of The Boys is very specific, and it’s very heightened. Sometimes I’m like, is this all I can do? So to get to do this movie and to have Julia trust me so much and to really be, I mean, this was a creative wet dream for me. I’m using Boys terminology to describe, but it was very satisfying to do this other tone, this other very fun thing, and then to dive back into our last season, go out with a big hurrah, and then see what’s next.

The Surrender will be playing for the duration of SXSW below

Screenings:
Public 1 Screening (Premiere) – Sunday, March 9, 2025 at 10:30PM CST Alamo Lamar 4.
*Please note, there is an additional screening taking place at the same time at Alamo Lamar 3.
Public 2 Screening – Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at 12:00PM CST at Alamo Lamar 1.
Public 3 Screening – Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at 12:00PM CST at Alamo Lamar 8.
Public 4 Screening – Friday, March 14, 2025 at 9:30PM CST at Alamo Lamar 8.

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