Never Let Go hit theaters on September 20th, and it’s worth checking out if you are drawn to great performances and children in peril. It premiered at Fantastic Fest 2024 in Austin, Texas and I was caught the first screening. I went in only knowing to expect Halle Berry, two kids, and a rope. I avoided trailers like the plague, and luckily, I saw it before others could spoil it (usually not the case). The film follows a mother and her two sons as they scavenge the wilderness for survival during the apocalypse. As distrust begins to poison the family ties, the tension grows and causes the family to be more susceptible to the dangers in the seemingly abandoned world. The performances, big ideas, overwhelming dread, and psychological horror make Never Let Go worth the watch, although the resolution left me unsatisfied.
The Halle Berry Of It All
I will start by stating my bias. I will watch any movie Halle Berry is in. Yes, I saw Catwoman (2004) in theaters, and 13-year-old me was pleased. I KNEW, if anything, Halle would deliver a performance (especially with children involved– Losing Isaiah). I didn’t know that the child actors would also blow me away! Anthony B. Jenkins (Samuel) does an incredible job playing “the good son”. He also had a powerful performance in The Deliverance, although that script did not do him justice. Percy Daggs IV balanced the role of the curious boundary pusher, a loving and concerned brother and son.
I love that the children were younger because it sold the idea that this universe was all they knew. They would be more likely to follow the rules of an adult. Children are often socialized to associate adults with control, power, and law, even if the adult is wrong or oppressive. Samuel and Nolan cannot see the evil, but blindly take their mother’s word (up to a point). An older child or teen would have been more likely to push back and ended the movie much earlier.
There Is Room To Expand
The idea that you can only go so far into the wilderness before you have to return to the anchor point or safe place reminds me of The Watchers. However, Never Let Go was more interesting. The family had a stronger purpose because they didn’t spend the movie trying to escape the anchor point but trying to maintain and survive in a place where “evil” lurks amongst the trees.
I used quotations because while we get a taste of the “evil” Momma often mentions, the movie’s final scenes unravel the idea of evil she had been describing the entire time. By the end, audience members are left unsure if the threat truly existed to the degree that Momma described. I left the theater with more questions than I came in with. However, I am interested in seeing more of this world because Never Let Go is a solid 3 out of 5 stars.
