Never Let Go, 2024.
Directed by Alexandre Aja.
Starring Halle Berry, Percy Daggs IV, and Anthony B. Jenkins.
SYNOPSIS:
A family that has been haunted by an evil spirit for years. Their safety and their surroundings come into question when one of the children questions if the evil is real.
Literalizing the concept that nothing can hurt a family if they stick together, or in the case of director Alexandre Aja’s Never Let Go, tying a rope around oneself attached to the home’s foundation when venturing into the woods to gather food and other supplies. As copious amounts of narration and exposition explain, the reason for those ropes is that, apparently, these are apocalyptic times, and there is an evil lurking around those woods, except that it can’t actually corrupt anyone so long as they are inside or touching this house passed down across generations, which functions as a magic protective barrier. Hence, attaching ropes and using them, alongside the titular phrase, whenever exploring the outside world.
The key word in all of that is “apparently,” as the screenplay from KC Coughlin and Ryan Grassby are also playing one of those narrative games where it’s best not to take anything at face value until the movie finally gets its numerous twists out of its system. This also means that, for long stretches, Never Let Go is mostly just annoying. The film overtly telegraphs that everything should be questioned, which may have worked if there was one twist and the screenplay stuck to it. Instead, it’s a slog waiting for that first reveal, only to immediately catch on to what the film will do next. Bluntly put, the film cares more about obvious tricks than it does about characterization and story.
That story feels strangely undercooked despite how much time is spent on exposition, seemingly setting up for payoffs later on that never come. Halle Berry is the unnamed “Momma” to young boys Nolan and Sam (Percy Diggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins), spelling out most of this lore. Through her perspective, we also see visual manifestations of the evil that no one can see but her (they are basically talking zombies resembling loved ones.) Given the dangerous circumstances, Momma leaves her boys no room for error, forcing them to touch the ground inside the home and recite a religious excerpt to ensure the evil did not touch them during whatever went awry.
It’s also not long before we as an audience begin to suspect the legitimacy of any of this and the sanity of Momma. This conflicted state of thought then plays out between Nolan and Sam, with the former growing increasingly convinced that his mom has lost her mind. Some sibling bad blood develops; before you know it, this family dynamic is upended with irreversible consequences.
To their credit, Percy Diggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins give terrific performances, each selling their strained emotions and the toll the fracturing of this family is taking on their spirits. They are also equally convincing regarding their passionate stances. As such, Halle Berry is unsurprisingly impressive, somewhere between crazy, strict, and fiercely protective. Having directed films such as The Hills Have Eyes, Alexandre Aja successfully works within familiar environments and knows how to appropriate them for a moody, sinister atmosphere.
The issues are in the plotting. Even when the filmmakers start introducing new characters and developments, it becomes clear that another game will be played. As such, it’s difficult to care about anything happening in Never Let Go as much as we do care about these boys. It’s a series of twists deployed for different kinds of shock value, and because the filmmakers seem to think it’s fun rearranging the chess pieces without expanding on the premise or the characters. It’s okay to let go of this one.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
Originally published September 17, 2024. Updated September 19, 2024.
