# The Surgeon (film)
**The Surgeon** is a 2026 American crime thriller film written and directed by [Roshan Sethi](https://www.edgepedia.org/roshan-sethi), starring [Michelle Yeoh](https://www.edgepedia.org/michelle-yeoh) as a recently retired surgeon who is kidnapped by a criminal gang and forced at gunpoint to perform an operation. It premiered as an Official Selection at the 2026 [Toronto International Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/toronto-international-film-festival) (TIFF) and was acquired for North American distribution by Sony Pictures out of the festival.[1](https://2026.tiffr.com/films/the-surgeon) • [2](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/sony-pictures-acquires-michelle-yeoh-tiff-action-thriller-the-surgeon/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director and writer | Roshan Sethi, whose previous film was the 2025 romantic comedy *A Nice Indian Boy*[1](https://2026.tiffr.com/films/the-surgeon) |
| Lead cast | Michelle Yeoh as Eliza Lim, with Martin Freeman leading the criminal gang[1](https://2026.tiffr.com/films/the-surgeon) • [3](https://www.polygon.com/the-surgeon-michelle-yeoh-release-date/) |
| Format | 92 minutes, English language, 2026 U.S. production[1](https://2026.tiffr.com/films/the-surgeon) |
| Filming | Shot on location in Dublin/Wicklow, Ireland, including the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin[4](https://www.iftn.ie/locations/sublinks_static/dublin/?act1=record&aid=70&force=1&only=1&rid=4755&tpl=filmography_dets) • [2](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/sony-pictures-acquires-michelle-yeoh-tiff-action-thriller-the-surgeon/) |
| Festival premiere | Saturday, September 12, 2026, Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto[5](https://deadline.com/video/michelle-yeoh-the-surgeon-interview-martin-freeman-roshan-sethi-tiff-studio/) |
| Distribution | Sony Pictures acquired North American rights plus Latin America, Italy, China, and Hong Kong; U.S. theatrical release April 2, 2027 as a Columbia Pictures film[2](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/sony-pictures-acquires-michelle-yeoh-tiff-action-thriller-the-surgeon/) • [3](https://www.polygon.com/the-surgeon-michelle-yeoh-release-date/) |
| Critical aggregates | Metacritic 74 from 5 reviews (100% positive); Rotten Tomatoes 100% from 13 reviews at the time of reporting[6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-surgeon/) • [3](https://www.polygon.com/the-surgeon-michelle-yeoh-release-date/) |
## Plot and premise
The title refers to a literal medical figure, not a criminal nickname. Yeoh plays Eliza Lim, a gifted surgeon who steps down after an accomplished career, only to return to the operating room at gunpoint: a gang led by [Martin Freeman](https://www.edgepedia.org/martin-freeman)'s character abducts her from her kitchen one morning and takes her to a derelict hospital, where their boss is already prepped for surgery in the operating theater. She must operate on a gang member with a life-threatening condition, then turns 35 years of surgical expertise against her captors and outwits them in a fight for survival.[5](https://deadline.com/video/michelle-yeoh-the-surgeon-interview-martin-freeman-roshan-sethi-tiff-studio/) • [7](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-surgeon-movie-review-michelle-yeoh-1235216775/) • [2](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/sony-pictures-acquires-michelle-yeoh-tiff-action-thriller-the-surgeon/)
TIFF's catalog describes the film as a pulse-pounding ride that pays homage to genre films, from kidnapping thriller to surgical drama to home invasion, with [Thin Lizzy](https://www.edgepedia.org/thin-lizzy) needle drops serving as the protagonist's operating-room music of choice.[1](https://2026.tiffr.com/films/the-surgeon)
## Production
The film was written and directed by Roshan Sethi and produced by Wild Atlantic Pictures and Thunder Road Pictures, with Tango also producing and 193, a Legendary company, handling international sales.[4](https://www.iftn.ie/locations/sublinks_static/dublin/?act1=record&aid=70&force=1&only=1&rid=4755&tpl=filmography_dets) • [2](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/sony-pictures-acquires-michelle-yeoh-tiff-action-thriller-the-surgeon/) The producer roster comprises Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Diarmaid McGrath, Tim Headington, Lia Buman, Neil Shah, Steve Klinsky, Adam Kolbrenner, John Schoenfelder, and Russell Ackerman.[8](https://scienceandfilm.org/projects/995/the-surgeon/)
**Medical authenticity.** Sethi is a physician as well as a filmmaker, and he drew on his own career for the script, basing many doctor-patient interactions on his experiences.[1](https://2026.tiffr.com/films/the-surgeon) • [3](https://www.polygon.com/the-surgeon-michelle-yeoh-release-date/) The movie was shot at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, where Sethi turned to his colleague Dr. O'Keefe, a surgeon who runs the simulator lab, to train and prepare Yeoh for the role.[2](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/sony-pictures-acquires-michelle-yeoh-tiff-action-thriller-the-surgeon/) The Irish Film & Television Network records the shooting location as Dublin/Wicklow.[4](https://www.iftn.ie/locations/sublinks_static/dublin/?act1=record&aid=70&force=1&only=1&rid=4755&tpl=filmography_dets)
## Cast
The principal cast listed by TIFF comprises Michelle Yeoh, Martin Freeman, Laurie Davidson, Yuri Kolokolnikov, and Joseph Mydell.[1](https://2026.tiffr.com/films/the-surgeon) • [8](https://scienceandfilm.org/projects/995/the-surgeon/) Supporting cast reported by Polygon includes Barry John Kinsella, Sabrina Pui Yee Chin, Ian Gerard Whyte, Dónall Ó Héalaí, and Emma Brady.[3](https://www.polygon.com/the-surgeon-michelle-yeoh-release-date/)
## Release
The film premiered at TIFF on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the [Royal Alexandra Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-alexandra-theatre).[5](https://deadline.com/video/michelle-yeoh-the-surgeon-interview-martin-freeman-roshan-sethi-tiff-studio/) Sony Pictures acquired North American rights in a highly competitive situation, along with rights for Latin America, Italy, China, and Hong Kong.[2](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/sony-pictures-acquires-michelle-yeoh-tiff-action-thriller-the-surgeon/) The U.S. nationwide theatrical release is set for Friday, April 2, 2027, as a [Columbia Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/columbia-pictures) film, a date it shares with *[Narnia: The Magician's Nephew](https://www.edgepedia.org/narnia-the-magicians-nephew)*; MovieInsider recorded filming completed and the film in post-production as of October 5, 2026.[3](https://www.polygon.com/the-surgeon-michelle-yeoh-release-date/) • [9](https://www.movieinsider.com/m25798/the-surgeon) In France, AlloCiné lists a theatrical release of March 31, 2027, distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment France.[10](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=1000024299.html)
## Reception
At the time of reporting, the film held a 100% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes with 13 registered reviews[3](https://www.polygon.com/the-surgeon-michelle-yeoh-release-date/) and a Metacritic score of 74 based on 5 critic reviews, all positive, categorized as "Generally Favorable."[6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-surgeon/)
IndieWire's review situates the film in the post-*Taken* subgenre of older-protagonist capability thrillers, and frames the premise through the character's thesis that "Surgery is precise violence."[7](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-surgeon-movie-review-michelle-yeoh-1235216775/) The review was published while the film was still seeking U.S. distribution; Sony's acquisition was announced separately out of the festival.[7](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-surgeon-movie-review-michelle-yeoh-1235216775/) • [2](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/sony-pictures-acquires-michelle-yeoh-tiff-action-thriller-the-surgeon/)
## By the numbers
The runtime is 92 minutes.[1](https://2026.tiffr.com/films/the-surgeon) Metacritic lists the production companies as 193, Lit Entertainment Group, NeoText, Tango Entertainment, Thunder Road Pictures, and Untravelled Worlds.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-surgeon/)
## References
1. [The Surgeon — TIFF 2026 Official Selection](https://2026.tiffr.com/films/the-surgeon)
2. [Michelle Yeoh's The Surgeon Acquired by Sony Out of TIFF, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/sony-pictures-acquires-michelle-yeoh-tiff-action-thriller-the-surgeon/)
3. [The Surgeon sets release date (Polygon)](https://www.polygon.com/the-surgeon-michelle-yeoh-release-date/)
4. [The Surgeon | The Irish Film & Television Network](https://www.iftn.ie/locations/sublinks_static/dublin/?act1=record&aid=70&force=1&only=1&rid=4755&tpl=filmography_dets)
5. [Michelle Yeoh, Martin Freeman and Roshan Sethi On 'The Surgeon' (Deadline)](https://deadline.com/video/michelle-yeoh-the-surgeon-interview-martin-freeman-roshan-sethi-tiff-studio/)
6. [The Surgeon Reviews - Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-surgeon/)
7. [The Surgeon Review: Michelle Yeoh Doctors a Gang of Mobsters to Death (IndieWire)](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-surgeon-movie-review-michelle-yeoh-1235216775/)
8. [Sloan Science & Film | The Surgeon](https://scienceandfilm.org/projects/995/the-surgeon/)
9. [The Surgeon Movie - MovieInsider](https://www.movieinsider.com/m25798/the-surgeon)
10. [The Surgeon - Film 2026 - AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=1000024299.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Crime, thriller, and mystery films (individual works) › 2025–2026 films › Crime, heist, and gangster films*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license