FANTASTIC FEST 2024: "NEVER LET GO" (2024) Is A Visual Triumph That Falters On A Waffling Conclusion (REVIEW)
As the sun shines down on the city of Austin, TX with it so do the lights of the Alamo Drafthouse in South Lamar for the 19th annual Fantastic Fest! For eight days, some of the best genre films worldwide will showcase the current and future talents in genre filmmaking while celebrating some classics in new, revitalized restorations. This year, Macabre Daily is fortunate enough to have some boots (well, one person) on the ground basking in the glory of all the genre has to offer. As part of our coverage, we will post reviews, interviews, and previews of upcoming films and games taking center stage here, including some exciting new horror games from the indie studios showcased in Fantastic Games presented by Day of the Devs! We are honored and privileged to be here, thank you to our partners at Fons PR, and now let’s get to the good stuff with one of the festival openers, “Never Let Go” from Lionsgate (see our previous coverage) and opened in theaters everywhere Friday, September 20, 2024.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A family that has been haunted by an evil spirit for years. Their safety and their surroundings come into question when one of the children questions if the evil is real.
HOW IS IT?
There are some filmmakers who no matter what they make, horror fans will see it, and it is safe to say that Alexandre Aja is in that conversation. His debut genre film, “High Tension” was one of the films to kick off the New French Extremity film movement at the dawn of the 00s and has since released two remakes that stand toe-to-toe with their originals and one of the best when animals attack movies with 2019’ “Crawl.” In “Never Let Go”, Aja is joined by powerhouse Halle Berry and two amazing young actors, Anthony B. Jenkins, and Percy Daggs IV who are easily the stars of this psychological shocker. While the captivating premise and cinematography are haunting, the narrative stumbles to come to a satisfactory close by not having a firm point of view.
It would be easy to write off “Never Let Go” as a clone of “A Quiet Place” if you’re to believe the marketing, but it has far more in common with “Frailty” with the plotting of an M. Night Shyamalan movie. We open under the premise that Momma (Berry) and her two sons Samuel (Jenkins) and Nolan (Daggs) live in a secluded home that supposedly protects them from an evil that has taken over the world. Their only lifeline is pieces of rope tethered to the house to extend its protective capabilities just as long as you don’t let go of it. Tensions between the brothers arise as Samuel becomes skeptical of Momma’s sanity, whereas Nolan is steadfast in his belief that Momma knows best. The dynamic between them is palpable, especially as the film barrels into a shocking twist about midway through that shakes up the relationship between the brothers and their mother. The strength of “Never Let Go” is that you genuinely feel for these two boys and understand both positions through their performances. Berry is in top form as Momma who is calmly unhinged, but showing signs that she cannot keep the facade of sanity up longer given the difficulty she is finding in providing for her boys and herself. Where things start to veer off into less interesting territory is in the back third.
The suspense is driven primarily by no one knowing if what Momma is seeing is real or not. She is the only one who can see it at the start, and even as the story continues we aren’t entirely clear how much of what we’re seeing is imagined or real. The leap of faith required to continue being steadfast in the belief in this evil is showing signs of splintering, but with it so does the relationship with his brother. The struggle in the third act is that the story never really makes up its mind as to what we should believe, and uses ambiguity as a crutch to not have to confront some of the darkness inherent to the situation and what unfolds. There are some heavy moments here, ones that would be life-shattering for children, especially ones raised in such an environment. But the story doesn’t give you enough to know what it’s trying to say, or if it has anything to say at all. Aja’s direction is perfect for the material, but it can’t save the script which fails to deliver a satisfactory ending or one that even validates what came before it. Some may argue that the lack of a firm stance at the end is part of the appeal, but the question then becomes, “What’s the point?” Why take us through this experience just to leave us where we started? It’s a shame too, because the bones of this story are good and the cinematography and location are enchanting and terrifying. The lush greens are juxtaposed with foreboding greys and dark blue hues, with practical and CGI makeup effects used jointly in perfect harmony.
LAST RITES
“Never Let Go” is elevated by strong performances from the two young leads, but the script leaves a lot to be desired and can’t be saved by Aja’s slick direction or the cinematography from frequent collaborator Maxime Alexandre.
THE GORY DETAILS
Directed By
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Where can you watch it?
Never Let Go is out NOW in theaters!
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