‘Never Let Go’ Hangs on Tight to the Tension

Never Let Go

★ ★ ★

Never Let Go is a story about a mother who lives deep in the woods with her twin sons. They’re isolated in the middle of nowhere on purpose, because a powerful evil has possessed the outside world. Throughout the film, this dark force is simply referred to as ‘the evil.’

The mother, played by Halle Berry (she’s not given a name, so I’ll just refer to her as ‘Mom’), believes their home is the only place where the family is safe. They can leave the house to look for food and materials, but only if they hold onto a rope that must remain tethered to the home.

The boys, about 10-years old, are Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins) and Nolan (Percy Daggs IV).

As the film begins, it’s established that the family live a simple life, have no electricity and are struggling to scavenge for food. It seems to be a daily routine where they venture out from the home in separate directions to divide and conquer in order to survive. They always chant a mantra, “Never let go,” before leaving the house. It is well understood that if they let go of the rope, the evil can get to them and it only takes one little touch from an evil entity for them to become possessed by it.

Halle Berry as ‘Mom’
© 2024 Lionsgate

One particular outing has Samuel and Nolan foraging on their own. Nolan hears Samuel say “Mom loves me best.” We don’t see him say it, as his back is to the camera. Nolan gets angry and stomps on Samuel’s rope, which causes him to drop it and fall down a small hill.

Nolan’s anger quickly turns to terror as he realizes he has now exposed his brother to evil. Samuel has injured his ankle in his fall down the hill. Nolan tries to help him but his rope is caught and the only way to get to him is to let go himself.

Nolan lets go of his rope and tries to help Samuel. Both are without their tethers and thus exposed. They scream for Mom, who comes just in the nick of time. She wraps her rope around all three of them and holds on tight as a grotesque, disfigured woman hisses and seethes as she walks around them. Portions of her skin are snakeskin.

Eventually, the evil backs off, and Mom is able to take the boys back to the house. What follows is a desperate lecture and a reinforcement of the rules.

This appears to be the boy’s first actual encounter with the evil, yet neither one saw the scary woman. Samuel generally take’s Mom’s warnings at face value. He’s the rule follower. Nolan questions and tests the rules. He begins to convince both himself and Samuel that Mom might actually be crazy.

Is she crazy? I dare not say.

This movie does a really good job of keeping you guessing by putting you in the boys’ shoes. The story is told more from their perspective and effectively studies the normalcy of children testing parental rules. In this case, if Mom isn’t crazy, testing the rules will have dire consequences.

The script is well written, and the pacing of the film makes it easy to get sucked into its universe. Jenkins and Daggs are excellent in their roles as is Berry, who’s no stranger to gritty, raw performances.

The film might not end with all your questions answered. It might require an extra viewing or two to unravel its puzzle. It’s filled with non-stop tension that keeps getting tighter until the last frame.

It’s a good little thriller and a well told story.

Horror, Mystery & Thriller