Several recent thrillers have blurred the line between what’s physiological and what’s supernatural, although most of them leaned toward the latter. For its first two acts, Never Let Go seemingly heads in one direction, promising something bold and original. In the third act, though, it suddenly veers into more conventional territory, only to backtrack in its final minutes. By the time we get to the credits, the film feels less like a guessing game and more like a gratuitous exercise in subverting expectations. The ending somehow spells everything out while also failing to answer numerous questions. For all the goodwill the film builds up, the results are a tangled mess.
Halle Berry plays a mother raising her sons Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins) and Nolan (Percy Daggs IV) in the woods. The mother claims that the world beyond their cabin has been plagued by an evil entity. The three can only leave the cabin with rope tied around their waists and venture as far as it stretches. Their dog is free to roam, however. The Evil that the mother speaks of is visible to nobody other than her. If the Evil possesses any of them, they’ll be compelled to kill each other.
If you think this sounds bonkers, you’re not the only one. Although Samuel would much sooner die than object to his momma, Nolan has doubts. With food running low and his mother growing more unhinged, Nolan longs to cut himself loose. It’s two against one, though. There’s a good movie in Never Let Go, and the actors occasionally bring out its potential. Berry hasn’t always allied herself with the best material, but you can usually rely on her to give a solid performance. She’s convincing as a mother who’s either lost her mind or has stared evil incarnate in the face. Whichever it is, Berry’s character believes every word that comes out of her mouth.
Daggs and Jenkins are promising discoveries. At times, their dialogue can sound a tad Shyamalan-esque. The story even shares a few parallels to The Village. Nolan and Samuel talk less like real kids and more like adults writing for children. Even if their lines don’t always sound natural, Daggs and Jenkins know how to sell them. Berry may get top billing, but her young co-stars have to carry just as much on their backs. Maybe even more. While they’re up to the task, the screenplay isn’t up to snuff.
Following a genuinely shocking twist around the hour mark, Never Let Go presents its characters with moral quandaries that would’ve been fascinating to unpack. Rather than address these dilemmas, the film lets its characters off the hook. What should be an internal battle of wills and wits instead crumbles into a clichéd battle of good vs. evil. The finale is a missed opportunity that sours the experience. It’s a shame, as Never Let Go isn’t without strong performances, a few effective jump scares, and a chilling overarching atmosphere. Director Alexandre Aja sets us up for a modern horror classic, but no ending this year was in more need of a rewrite.