Never Let Go: Review & Summary

Check out our movies page for our latest movie reviews and recommendations.

Highlights

The Scenario The Boys Are Put Through

What drives and makes “Never Let Go” notable and worth seeing is the performances of Anthony B. Jenkins and Percy Daggs IV. With all due respect to Halle Berry, she feels like a trojan horse who got the budget so these young boys could showcase their talent. For watching them handle a mother who appears to have a mental illness, then pair that with them starving and torn between the woman who raised them and survival? It leads to so many wonderful scenes between the brothers.

Then, add in when the horror elements start to kick in, the desperation, and the boys’ struggle to remain on the same page? Oh, it’ll make you hope that both of these young men get to have long careers, and those careers don’t take a Disney detour unless they can emerge like Zendaya or Jenna Ortega afterwards.

On The Fence

The Overall Story

This film doesn’t offer much background on what’s going on, which is the bane and benefit of the movie. It does create a mystery element since you don’t know if maybe Momma has schizophrenia or, as she and the boys starve, maybe they are all seeing things. But, over the course of an hour and forty-one minutes, I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say there weren’t times I was bored and wanting something to happen beyond the occasional jump scare or graphic imagery.

I’d even say this film is so saved by those two boys performing as they do because, otherwise, this film could potentially put you to sleep.

The Gist

The TLDR Recap/ Review

1. Momma (Halle Berry) has raised her children Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins) and Nolan (Percy Daggs IV) out in the wilderness for years due to the claim that there are monsters out there.
2. Now, as for who or what these monsters are and if they are real? Honestly, even her sons question this.
3. But, as they watch their crops die and are limited in hunting any real meat, desperation kicks in and pushes the need to question if, in an effort to protect her babies, is Momma going to starve them or will they face these monsters head-on?
4. When it comes to “Never Let Go” it isn’t the story but the performances and scenarios that drive the film.
5. Specifically, it is the performances of Jenkins and Daggs, for Berry feels like a Trojan Horse whose main purpose is for marketing rather than to really showcase her talent.
6. Which you’ll honestly be fine with for the boys questioning momma’s sanity while still longing for a close relationship with her brings on the type of scenes you don’t see too many young Black actors getting to have.
7. With that said, the story itself is a bit boring, and while there are jump scares throughout, they aren’t notable enough to make you remember what you were scared of too long after the movie ends.
8. But, overall, while this could be considered an unremarkable movie for Berry’s filmography, for Jenkins and Daggs, this is certainly one that hopefully is used for their acting reels to procure more work.

General Information

Distributor

Lionsgate Films

Director(s)

Alexandre Aja

Writer(s)

Kevin Coughlin, Ryan Grassby