Halle Berry as Momma in ‘Never Let Go’. Photo Credit: Liane Hentscher.
Opening in theaters on September 20th, ‘Never Let Go’ is the latest horror thriller from Alexandre Aja, who in recent years has brought us the likes of ‘Oxygen,’ ‘Crawl’ and ‘The 9th Life of Louis Drax.’
Sadly, while ‘Never Let Go’ has some interesting initial ideas about faith, delusion, paranoia and suspicion, it wastes most of them in a predictable scare-a-thon that ends in disappointing fashion.
Related Article: Halle Berry, Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins Talk ‘Never Let Go’
Does ‘Never Let Go’ hold on to you?
(L to R) Anthony B. Jenkins as Samuel, Halle Berry as Momma and Percy Daggs IV as Nolan in ‘Never Let Go’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
The idea of a mother going to outrageous lengths to protect her kids from some danger –– be it real or imagined –– is far from new. ‘Never Let Go’ throws us into a post-apocalyptic world where Halle Berry’s mother lives in one of the few places still untouched by the nameless, faintly Biblical-seeming evil (there are several examples of serpent imagery) she is convinced will hurt them if they venture beyond the safety of their rickety wooden house. Tying ropes around their waists that are also connected to the house’s foundations is their main method of protection, even if it appears massively inconvenient (and indeed, that starts to factor into the drama).
Despite the interesting notion of an evil that may or may not be real and the small-scale storytelling, ‘Never Let Go’ still stumbles. It’s never as scary or truly thrilling as it thinks it is and there are long stretches, designed to illustrate how tough the family’s life is becoming as winter hits hard and supplies dwindle that act like a dropped rope –– it goes slack, and the interest severely wanes to a degree that it never quite picks up again, even the in face of a frantic climax.
Script and Direction
‘Never Let Go’ director Alexandre Aja.
Writers Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby have come up with a cool concept, but then don’t really find a way to do much that is fresh with it. There are some twists and turns we won’t specify here, but many of them will be something you’ll guess, and the final act descends into overt silliness.
Likewise Aja’s directing is solid but uninspired here. Initial jump shocks give way to long tortuous sequences of ritual, routine and repetition, and he never manages to make the concept truly work on screen.
Performances
This is really a three-hander, since our focus is almost exclusively on Berry and the kids…
Halle Berry as June/Mama
Halle Berry as Momma in ‘Never Let Go’. Photo Credit: Liane Hentscher.
You can see why Berry might have been attracted to the role, which gives her the chance to play unyielding but also desperate and vulnerable. Her mother character is powered by the faith that what she sees is real, even in the face of one of her sons starting to question the nature of it all.
Yet at the same time, the role mostly asks her to be nervy and wiry, becoming increasingly gaunt as the food starts to run out and she ponders turning the family’s beloved pet into their next meal. It sinks to a level of instability that begins to uproot the film, and never recovers. Berry has made a few questionable choices of late, and this is the latest.
Anthony B. Jenkins as Samuel
Anthony B. Jenkins as Samuel in ‘Never Let Go’. Photo Credit: Liane Hentscher.
As the “oldest” (by a few minutes) of his mother’s twins, Samuel is more mature than his brother, and the one who stays the course in believing what she says. Even as his own faith wavers, he keeps up the party line about the rope and the house. Jenkins puts in decent work, playing well off of Berry and Daggs.
Percy Daggs IV as Nolan
Percy Daggs IV as Nolan in ‘Never Let Go’. Photo Credit: Liane Hentscher.
Daggs is well matched with his brother as the “younger” twin, and as his belief in what his mother is telling them starts to crack, it ups the tension and drama.
William Catlett as Papa
It’s not much of a spoiler to say that figures from Berry’s character’s past make appearances in what she firmly believes are manifestations of the evil. Aside from one other we won’t explore at this time, Catlett plays Berry’s seemingly dead husband, and he’s effectively creepy without needing to dive into horror tropes.
Supporting cast
With its tight focus on the family unit, there are only a few other characters who appear, and they are mostly to drive the plot. They’re perfectly adequate, though so limited in scope the only ones who really make any sort of impact are Matthew Kevin Anderson as a hiker who shows up at the cabin and Mila Morgan as a young girl who may be more than she appears.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Anthony B. Jenkins as Samuel, Halle Berry as Momma and Percy Daggs IV as Nolan in ‘Never Let Go’. Photo Credit: Liane Hentscher.
Despite committed performances from Berry and the boys, this is an ultimately frustrating cinematic experience. It has some style via Aja’s experience with horror thrillers, but the story ay its core is never satisfying enough for anything to carry it through.
There was certainly scope for an exploration of how parents put rules in place to protect their kids or how those with mental health issues deal with handling the outside world. But this isn’t an effective vehicle for either.
By the end, you may be thinking that this is less ‘Never Lets Go’ and more “Never Gets Good.”
‘Never Let Go’ receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.
“One touch is all it takes.”
From visionary director Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes, Crawl) and the creative minds behind Stranger Things and Arrival comes NEVER LET GO. In this new psychological… Read the Plot
What is the plot of ‘Never Let Go’?
A family consisting of a mother (Halle Berry) and her twin sons (Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins) has suffered from the torment of a malicious spirit for many years. However, when one of the boys starts to doubt the existence of the evil, the family’s sacred bond is broken, leading to a dangerous fight for survival.
Who is in the cast of ‘Never Let Go’?
‘Never Let Go’ opens in theaters on September 20th. Photo: Lionsgate.