Never Let Go – Review

Release Date – 27th September 2024, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 41 minutes, Director – Alexandre Aja

A family (Halle Berry, Anthony B. Jenkins, Percy Daggs IV) must stay attached to their house by ropes or be corrupted by a stalking force known as The Evil, but what about the world beyond their isolated forest cabin?

Much of Never Let Go revolves around the idea of the world beyond the isolated forest cabin which the central family is constantly connected to. Halle Berry’s ‘Momma’ and her two young children Nolan (Percy Daggs IV) and Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins) are attached to their home by ropes every time they go out, or else there’s a chance that a force known as The Evil will attach itself to them and corrupt them. However, youngest (by three minutes) child Nolan begins to wonder if The Evil is really real, his mum is certainly the only person who can see the zombie-like figures it apparently takes the form of. And what about the rest of the world beyond their home, has that been struck by The Evil, too?

Over the course of the film the rest of the world threatens to leak into the enclosed space in which the family lives, throwing their lives off-balance as Momma tries to plead that The Evil does exist. The sound of helicopters landing breaks into scenes of hushed conversation, or is it a lorry round the back of the cinema delivering a new load of popcorn? No, it’s the low rumble of the score creating a detachment from the moment. In the opening stages as we’re introduced to the workings of the film, and some of the ambiguity constructing the narrative, there’s an off-kilter fairy tale style to the music that fits and helps to lift things up. However, during quieter moments when simply sounding and feeling like a rumble the effect is pure distraction.

Yet, this possible attempt to put the viewer on ease is far from as forceful as the building ambiguities in the first half. Instead of allowing the mysteries to naturally unfold a twisting nature of events and possible explanations come into play. The film leans into them too much yet never feels as if it has full confidence in them and so moves on to a new scene or idea. Some of which have promise and potential, especially in the second half where the child actors get more chance to shine, especially when out on their own away from Berry – who also gives a good turn.

However, as a new good idea starts to flourish things jump back into familiarity. There are plenty of reminders in the second half of other horror films that have had similar ideas and executed them in more consistent, and effective ways. Amongst the patches of creepiness here and there, including some likable creature design which acts as a highlight alongside the fantastic sound design which contains a great deal of attention to detail, there’s a strong reminder of Shyamalan’s Knock At The Cabin. Perhaps brought about through a mixture of the central location’s isolation and the question as to whether the central threat is real or not – although here it’s something that’s played with to a dampened, and often fluctuating degree.

There’s a good, perhaps more direct, film within Never Let Go, however its struggles to properly ground itself within its won world. Instead, diverting into familiar ideas from other films that are never quite as effective as the better points that this particular film brings into play and quickly drops. Despite some good technical aspects and central performances this is an overall frustrating film that falters due to not living up to, or rather continuing, the more promising aspects that it introduces, therefore dropping any eeriness that it brings in.

Despite a solid world created in excellent sound design and creature effects Never Let Go stumbles due to not sticking to its own promising ideas. Bursts of creepiness are broken up by forcefulness and overfamiliarity with other films making for an okay but frustrating watch.