“Never Let Go” inaugurates spooky season – Technique

With the release of “Never Let Go,” spooky season is off to a great start. Directed by Alexandre Aja (“The Hills Have Eyes,” “Piranha”), many scares await throughout the film. The plot is simple, letting go of a rope tethered to the foundations of an ancient house will cause monsters to attack. However, the movie shines through the thoroughly developed bonds between a mother and her sons. 

Halle Berry gave an amazing performance as Mama, channeling her years of experience in the field of entertainment along with her own emotions toward motherhood. The most powerful scenes in the film stem from Halle Berry’s ability to portray a mother willing to do anything for her children. The children, Samuel and Nolan, played by Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins have phenomenal chemistry together and create some of the most impactful moments in the film. The two actors will absolutely go far in the entertainment industry being so young yet able to convey deep emotions perfectly on screen. 

Additionally, the cinematography was absolutely gorgeous. Abundant greenery and wildlife make the film pop and serve as a bonus to an already great film. The landscape draws you in and makes you invested in these characters. Filmed in Vancouver, Canada, the woodland landscape fits the film’s themes perfectly. Also, the costume design and effects deserve props for their realism and believability. 

Many scenes have special effects, but they are used in ways that refrain from making any setting or character look unnatural. Another honorable mention is the film’s score, an incredibly dynamic medley that balances the horror aspect with the wholesome family moments to make for an enjoyable listening experience. 

Characterization is accomplished in part by the setting. It almost feels like the house the characters reside in is a character of its own. The characters will speak to the house, and it serves as an integral part of this film. It symbolizes the strength of the family relationship that the characters struggle to maintain during the movie’s duration. These bonds are tested multiple times throughout the film, and the characters change in various ways due to this. Ultimately, the writing of these characters and their story is phenomenal. It definitely feels like writers Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby created these characters and subsequently shaped the plot around them. 

There are many unexpected twists in the film, keeping viewers questioning different aspects of the story during and after its conclusion. This is not to say that the film’s plot is confusing; it just means there are many open-ended aspects that the film leaves the viewer to close. It almost feels like the runtime coming just shy of the two-hour mark is not enough time to fully flesh out some extra ideas or tie up loose ends. Nonetheless, every scene in the film is carefully crafted to bring the viewer closer to solving the evil mystery the on-screen family is facing.

Fans of the “A Quiet Place” franchise would enjoy this film for the similar emphasis on family and the plot of surviving a real-world monster. Some aspects of the film are reminiscent of Jordan Peele’s “Get Out,” due to the monster the family faces. “Never Let Go” takes inspiration from modern horror classics while reinventing established formulas, paving its own way forward. 

As a psychological horror, the film has lots of opportunity to play with the human psyche in ways which appear overtly terrifying to the audience and the characters. Overall, this was a surprisingly good film with incredible performances and cinematography that will leave viewers clamoring for more.