Critic Reviews

It is wildly entertaining.

Yeoh, a legendary action star in her own right, isn’t doing high kicks or punches to get Eliza out of this jam, but she’s more than skilled enough to convince you this scenario is plausible in the real world. She’s always been masterful at quiet intimidation, which suits Eliza to a tee.

Every character—even book club Bill (Joseph Mydell)—is here to get wrapped up in what becomes a battle to the death between two people unused to relinquishing control. Whether you see it as convenient or efficient is up to you. I call it a good time at the cinema. It might not break new ground, but it tweaks the formula enough to not care.

Through a creative use of genre tropes and satisfying payoffs, The Surgeon gets the action thriller job done. It’s a deliciously stylized ride, and the stakes are high.

What The Surgeon lacks in bloodshed — and energy — it makes up for in sheer grossness, knowing full well that Eliza’s superpower is that she doesn’t flinch at the kind of body horror that could make a grown man faint to the ground.