Never Let Go Review

There’s a danger of predictability when you make a survival horror thriller called Never Let Go, Alexandre Aja‘s latest film that once again finds the lead characters in such a desperate situation. It’s inevitable that they will let go but they certainly don’t let you forget the key component of the film throughout, resulting in one of the most muddled and frustrating films of the year.

When an unspeakable evil takes over the world, the only protection for a mother (Halle Berry) and her twin sons is their house and strong bond. Needing to stay connected at all times – even tethering themselves with ropes – they must cling to one another and never let go. However, when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, the ties that bind them together are severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival.

We’ve seen survival thrillers before that use a singular trope for its characters to follow in order to stay alive – A Quiet Place and its sequel/prequel being the most noteworthy in recent memory. The film sees a mother and her two sons commit to staying tied to ropes when venturing out of their cabin to avoid the “Evil” that lurks outside. It sounds quite basic yet Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby end up tying their own story up in such a convoluted manner it becomes more knotted than the very ropes utilised in the film. The film poses an interesting concept but ends up making little to no sense by the time it reaches a deeply underwhelming conclusion – uninterested in actually delving into the lore behind the film in any shape or form.

The frustration builds throughout as the film does possess such a dread-fuelled atmosphere yet nothing that interesting is done with it. There’s tension every time the kids venture out into the woods tied to a rope, the unknown dangers lurking there making it quite unnerving however, each outing starts to feel similar after a while and makes a film with a short runtime feel far too dull and long. The sound design is rather impressive and adds to the atmosphere but there’s also an over-reliance on cheap jump scares throughout, even if Aja does fit a brilliant one in near the start of the film.

The performances here are a high-point of the film, with Academy Award-winning Halle Berry delivering a real sense of paranoia to the role of Momma while also being the protective figure her two sons need to navigate the life they never had a choice in. It’s the dynamic between brothers Nolan and Samuel, played by Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins respectively, that drives the film forward though. Samuel is the one who adheres to his mother’s every instruction with Nolan the opposite, curious about just how much of a truth they’ve been told. Daggs and Jenkins are impressive, particularly amidst the presence of someone as seasoned as Berry, with their conflicting approach to survival fuelling most of the film’s best scenes.

There’s no denying that Never Let Go is a frustrating experience, even more disappointing considering that it’s made by Alexandre Aja. It fails to capitalise on its good qualities to make something truly memorable and that’s a real shame.