The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 26 January 2020.[2] In January 2021, Vertigo Releasing acquired U.K. and Irish distribution rights to the film.[3] It was released on 28 May 2021.[4] In June 2021, FilmRise acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.[5] The film went on to gross $34,444 worldwide.[6]
Critical reception
Surge holds a 77% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 52 reviews, with an average of 6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Discomfiting by design, Surge will wear some viewers down -- but Ben Whishaw's mesmerizing performance keeps the action gripping even when it's hard to take."[7]
Whishaw received World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting at the Sundance Film Festival.