A group of former students from a drama school are all invited to a reunion weekend, deep in the Welsh countryside. As a gang of local hoodlums makes it clear that the visitors are unwelcome, the real motivation behind the invitation is gradually revealed. What follows is a rollercoaster of chases, chance encounters, lost opportunities, confrontations and strange goings-on in the woods – ending when an already bad trip is made worse by the experience of an additional mushroom-fuelled ‘bad trip’.
Developed out of a project to immerse a new generation of actors and technicians in the practice of filmmaking, this debut feature by Tim Bryn Smith aims to showcase the talents of actors and crew who’ve been part of Nottingham’s Actors’ Workshop. Drawing heavily on his DIY convictions, Smith found ways to make Surrender to It a workable movie proposition, with the entire cast of enthusiastic workshop alumni making their feature film debuts.
Blending character drama with comedy, fantasy and folk horror tropes, and with such a large ensemble cast to service, the plotting, writing and performance styles are all necessarily broad. And while there are too many ideas competing for attention in Smith’s full-to-bursting script, everything is delivered with gusto and self-confidence.
The barriers preventing ordinary youngsters and young people from pursuing a career in the creative and performing arts in the UK are widely recognised. If inventive projects like this one afford a group of upcoming and ambitious actors and artists a route into the industry, that in itself is reason enough to applaud this endeavour. Above and beyond that, this succeeds as an enticing calling card.
SURRENDER TO IT is available now on digital platforms.
