LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL 2025 REVIEW! Naomi is a driven young businesswoman who keeps her gambling addiction hidden from everyone around her in Jess Dang’s feature film, Surrender.
After receiving a major promotion at work that will uproot her from Los Angeles to New York City, Naomi (Andrea Bang) celebrates by slipping away to a casino in Las Vegas and winning some cool cash at the blackjack table. She appears to have her professional life under control, even conducting a sales meeting from a bathroom stall between bets.
However, her ability to juggle appearances begins to fray as she returns home to visit her mother and grandmother. Naomi notices her grandmother may be in the beginning stages of dementia and later finds a foreclosure notice that her mother hid away, signs that things at home are unraveling. Naomi decides to use her blackjack skills to help pay off the debt.
Naomi’s visit to her mother’s and grandmother’s home stirs painful memories. Flashbacks reveal her father teaching her how to play cards—moments that once felt like bonding but are now tinged with discomfort. Later, Naomi remembers her father’s abuse of her mother, while her grandmother stays silent to save face at church. Overwhelmed by the situation, she ignores repeated calls from her girlfriend Jovie and quietly pockets her concerns.
Unable to sleep at night, Naomi retreats to the casino again, playing into the early morning hours to escape the emotional toll. As the nights go on, her life spirals out of control. Meanwhile, her grandmother nearly sets the kitchen on fire, prompting her mother to begin researching dementia-related illnesses. Naomi’s promotion requires a move to New York, but her growing sense of responsibility at home complicates the offer. When she tells Jovie about the opportunity, Jovie is visibly upset that Naomi never mentioned it before. She returns to the casino, chasing wins, but instead falls into a losing streak.
Andrea Bang, Cici Lau, and Grace Shen in Jess Deng’s Surrender at the 2025 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.
“Naomi decides to use her blackjack skills to help pay off the debt.”
Surrender is a heart-breaker of a story as it follows the journey of a classic addict. It starts with the thrill of the win as the first step into addiction. Then soothing the soul as life’s pressure builds. Next comes the isolation—personally and professionally—followed by the struggle to juggle every aspect of life. Then it ends when the addict gives up everything to keep that rush going, and then comes rock bottom.
I won’t lie. This story has been told before, whether it’s gambling, alcohol, drugs…whatever. Though the specifics may vary, each addict’s journey is their own. Everyone is susceptible to addiction regardless of gender, race, or orientation. Surrender is the first time I’ve seen gambling as the vice of choice, and from personal experience, it’s not surprising to see this vice resonate deeply within some Asian communities.
I love seeing Andrea Bang exercise her acting chops. Surrender is the first dramatic performance I’ve seen from her, and she pulls it off brilliantly. Her gift is that she’s every person. She could be our friend and colleague, and never comes across as an actor acting on screen. She hits all the emotional beats. We feel the thrill of the game. We feel the financial pressure building. We also see her lying not only to her friends but to herself as well.
Surrender is an exceptional dramatic story that warns of the dangers of gambling addiction. It sneaks up on you with style, empathy, and raw honesty, anchored by Andrea Bang’s quietly endearing yet tragic performance. Ultimately, it’s a grounded and compassionate portrait of a woman caught between ambition, obligation, and the thrill that threatens to undo everything.
Surrender screened at the 2025 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.
"…the thrill of the win as the first step into addiction."
