IndieWire’s review of The Surgeon praises Michelle Yeoh’s performance as a retired surgeon forced at gunpoint to operate on a mob boss, arguing her clinical precision turns into an unexpectedly effective form of violence. Written and directed by Roshan Sethi — himself a practising radiation oncologist, the review notes — the movie trades broad action for body‑horror detail and a slacker pace. While the critic finds several narrative and pacing flaws, they say the film remains a grisly, frequently entertaining exercise in “precise violence.” The Surgeon premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival and is currently seeking U.S. distribution, according to IndieWire.
Review
A retired surgeon forced to operate becomes an unlikely weapon
IndieWire outlines the premise simply: Michelle Yeoh plays Eliza Lim, a sixty‑something surgeon pushed into retirement and soon abducted by goons who need her to operate on their boss. Thrust into a derelict operating theatre at gunpoint, Eliza must improvise under life‑and‑death pressure, using her medical expertise to try to save lives — and, when necessary, to turn surgical knowledge into a means of survival. The review emphasises the film’s conceit as a riff on rescue‑and‑revenge thrillers, replacing guns and fists with scalpels and anatomy as the primary instruments of conflict.
Performance
Yeoh’s disciplined, clinical acting anchors the movie
According to IndieWire, Yeoh’s measured performance is the film’s consistent strength: she embodies an older surgeon whose professional discipline translates into a startlingly effective physical intelligence. The critic notes Yeoh does not play an invincible action star here but an experienced, precise practitioner who targets tendons, muscles and organs to neutralise threats. Martin Freeman is singled out for selling his turn as the mob boss, and Karan Soni provides a small, amusing cameo as an insurance agent. The review highlights how the film gets a frisson from watching Yeoh’s character weaponise the bad guys’ medical ignorance.
Direction and tone
Sethi’s medical background informs a film heavy on bodily detail
IndieWire stresses that writer‑director Roshan Sethi’s continuing work in medicine colours the film’s texture: Sethi is still a practising radiation oncologist and is cheekily billed in the end credits as “Roshan Sethi M.D.,” the review notes. The first half plays as a grim, blood‑soaked game of chicken in which the heroine introduces surgical complications to manipulate her captors. The critic points to early, unsettling images — including a flashback that displays the character’s clinical fascination with incision and repair — and says the film leans into body‑horror and gross medical detail to provocation effect.
Critique
Pacing and thin plotting limit the film’s impact
While praising Yeoh and the film’s inventive use of surgical knowledge, IndieWire is critical of the picture’s pacing and narrative clarity. The review describes the film as slacker than it needs to be, with tension that never quite tightens to the desired degree. It questions some character motivations — why Freeman’s gang is so determined to eliminate Eliza — and argues the movie frays when it slows, although it redeems itself as Eliza abandons her ‘do no harm’ stance and the violence escalates. Ultimately, the critic finds the action minimal but effective, with each violent incision made to count.
Release
TIFF premiere and search for U.S. distribution
IndieWire reports that The Surgeon premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. The review notes the film is currently seeking U.S. distribution. Beyond festival play and distribution status, the review serves as the primary published appraisal cited for the title at this stage.