Dog’s Movie House: “Never Let Go” Gripping Horror Film That Almost Overcomes Its Somewhat Confusing Narrative!

To say more about the plot would be a disservice to all of you. I will say that Aja plays with the idea that the evil and the monsters in the woods are all figments of June’s imagination. The creatures, who appear as members of her deceased family, are only visible to her for the most part and her strict discipline starts to chafe on Nolan (Percy Daggs IV). The increasing sense of isolation, his mother’s erratic behavior, and their dwindling food supply damage Nolan’s faith and drives a need for evidence. The other son, Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins) is the opposite: fiercly loyal and trusting of his mother, Samuel’s attitude leads to confilict with his twin brother. Late in the film, “Never Let Go” takes a sudden turn and, although the tension is terrific, the narrative becomes a bit confusing at this point. Needles to say, there’s more than mental health issues at play here.

What holds “Never Let Go” together is Aja’s terrific ability to create tension (along with a healthy dose of jump scares) along with the fine performances of his cast. Berry is terrific as a mother who’s conviction seems to be slowly driving her mad. Berry is able to portray this encroaching madness in a manner that makes her sympathetic as well as a little scary. She’s matched by Daggs IV and Jenkins, who are both terrific as her twin sons. Late in the film they both have to do some heavy lifting to move the story along and they pull it off beautifully! It’s impressive given that the three actors are the only main characters in the film.

I think the ending is designed to make people think about what they’ve seen and also to spur conversation about the film. If you like somewhat ambiguous endings then you’re gonna love “Never Let Go.” For me, I prefer a little more certainty to my finales and as a result, the film misses greatness by just a bit. Still an entertaining watch, though! 3 1/2 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

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