As everyone knows, one successful movie can set a trend. In recent years, it’s been A Quiet Place, which itself was undoubtedly inspired by The Walking Dead. And because Quiet made a lot of noise (and money), there has been more than a fair share of post-apocalyptic genre movies. The latest is headlined by a household name, Halle Berry, and the director is a fan-favorite: Alexandre Aja (High Tension, Piranha, Crawl). Never Let Go sounds promising on the talent end, however, that may not be enough to draw a crowd. Especially when the premise sounds too familiar.
Never Let Go starts off like A Quiet Place: a family lives in a rustic and remote house away from civilization (or what’s left of it), and they are hiding from a sinister force. In this case, Berry and her character’s two young sons, Nolan and Samuel (respectively played by Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins), are in constant fear of an evil that has taken “over the world beyond their front doorstep.” The only things keeping them safe are a rope tethered to their bodies as they venture out into the woods, as well as the sage rule of “never let go.”
Admittedly, the surface concept here is trite. Never Let Go switches out the aliens and silence gimmick of A Quiet Place with specters and tethered ropes. However, once you look beyond that, you see that this movie has far more in common with Frailty, the 2002 psycho-thriller directed by the late Bill Paxton. Yes, rather than being a straightforward survival tale, Never turns into a battle of faiths. Berry’s nameless character insists there is something after her and her kids, and there is no world to go back to, but Nolan is convinced his mother is mistaken. Meanwhile, you the viewer have your own dilemma to contend with until the credits roll: who here do you believe?
Once past the hackneyed setup, Never Let Go puts forth a more interesting sort of energy. The two boys, who each feel differently about their mother’s beliefs, are at odds about their homelife. Samuel is clearly more under his mother’s influence, seeing as he has no huge qualms with her more drastic decisions (one of which will makes animal lovers squirm in their seats). And Nolan, who surely many folks will feel the most sympathy for, is trying to make sense of an increasingly senseless situation. How does a rope protect them from evil spirits they can’t even see? Berry delivers a fine performance here, but in the end, Daggs and Jenkins carry this film. These young actors act out dreadful scenes that are beyond their years.
Aja, who is known for his visceral and intense brand of horror, may have seem like he’s phoning it in with such a blatant imitation of A Quiet Place. On the contrary, the director puts his own spin on the popular formula; his unique style shines through even when Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby‘s screenplay starts off dangerously generic. It’s a darker movie than you would have imagined.
After screening at Fantastic Fest 2024, Never Let Go is now playing in theaters everywhere.
Tales from the Paulside 
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