Never Let Go is one of those horror films that arrives loaded with potential and leaves you wondering what could have been. Directed by Alexandre Aja (Crawl, Piranha 3D), this 2024 psychological thriller blends cabin-in-the-woods horror, survivalist tension, and family drama into something that is equal parts fascinating and frustrating.
What’s It About?
Set in an isolated house in the woods, twin brothers Nolan (Percy Daggs IV) and Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins) live with their mother (Halle Berry) in hiding from a supernatural force known as “The Evil,” which has supposedly wiped out the rest of humanity. Momma enforces a strict set of rules, including religious reverence toward the house and the requirement that no one leaves without a rope tied to their person.
The premise is built on more rules than a tabletop game. The Evil can take many forms — from Momma’s grotesque late mother to the boys’ deceased father — and crucially, it can only be seen by Momma herself, who tells the boys that adults alone can perceive it. This raises the central and most compelling question of the film: is the threat real, or is Momma deeply unwell?
The Good
Halle Berry is the unambiguous highlight here. She brings a lot more to the role than the script deserves. Her character starts as a brutal, no-nonsense Sarah Connor type before going full Carrie White’s mother by the final reel. It’s a committed, physically demanding performance that deserves a better film around it.
The two child actors are pretty damn good — not just “good for child actors,” but flat-out good. The growing schism between the believing Samuel and the doubting Nolan gives the film its emotional spine, and both young performers carry it well.
The rope mechanic is a clever high-concept device. Hold onto it and you’re safe; let go and you’re in danger. The film proceeds to engineer a series of scenarios where characters are forced to let go, creating a simple but effective mechanism to ratchet up tension — similar in spirit to the silence rule in A Quiet Place or the daylight rule in I Am Legend.
The Not-So-Good
For a film made in 2024, the CGI effects feel a good decade out of date, which really takes away from some of the scarier moments that should have had more impact. With a more grounded approach, those final sequences could have been terrifying instead of unintentionally laughable.
A mid-story twist seems like it’s going to raise the stakes, but the film ultimately drops the ball in the final act, where there is a lot of noise and fury but little payoff.
The overcomplicated plot and unsatisfying ending let the film down. Viewers hoping for clear answers about what is real and what isn’t may walk away feeling cheated rather than intrigued.
The Verdict
On Rotten Tomatoes, the critics’ consensus reads: “Director Alexandre Aja’s latest horror offering boasts anxiety-inducing atmosphere and a committed performance from Halle Berry, although audiences will have to let go of some storytelling expectations to enjoy the ride.”
That sums it up well. Never Let Go is a film of genuine atmosphere, strong performances, and a smart central concept that unfortunately stumbles in the third act. It is a family drama, a supernatural horror film, and a psychological thriller all at once — which sounds exciting on paper, but the film never quite decides which of those it truly wants to be.
If you’re a Halle Berry fan or enjoy slow-burn horror with an unreliable narrator at its core, there is enough here to make it worth a watch. Just don’t expect all the threads to tie neatly together.
Released: September 20, 2024 | Rated R | Runtime: 1h 41min
Rating: 3/5
You can watch on:
- Starz
- Amazon