Last Updated on September 21, 2024 by
Never Let Go is a 2024 Horror Movie Directed. Alexandre Aja. The film stars Halle Berry, Anthony B. Jenkins, and William Catlett, with a runtime of 1h 41M, and was released on September 20, 2024.
Suppose one day, Halle Berry wakes you up and tells you that the world has come to an end and now the only place you can live is the woods”. She says that if you go out, an evil spirit will capture you, and only if you are chained to her house with a rope. There is an evil force that can only be seen by Halle Berry.
They keep everyone else from seeing it and in most cases, you can’t even see it yourself. What about the security that her house offers? It has to be “charged up” by your love, you see. Well, she has to keep you in the basement turn the lights off, and repeat the process until you have the right feeling. That’s the main setup of Never Let Go, a horror thriller film directed by Alexandre Aja. It is a rather eerie and suspenseful tale, focused on such themes as belief, reliance, and apprehension.
As in some of the movies, knock at the Cabin and Miracle on 34th Street or any other, the audience and characters are to believe in something that cannot be believed. But here’s the big question: if there is no evil force out there, then what happens to those who thought that such a force existed? And if it is real, then what message can be passed to the people who did not believe? Anyways I think Never Let Go draws inspiration from A Quiet Place: Day One and Longlegs Horrors film.
The movie, tells the story of Halle Berry, who plays Mama, the woman who raises two young boys, Samuel and Nolan in a house in the woods. The boys are completely sold on any information their mom gives them regarding the evil force. More so, she is their mom, and there are no valid reasons why she could be lying to them. They are raised with the understanding that the only way they could ever get out of the house is if a rope is used to tether them to it. To them, that is just the way of the world.
But to the audience, things seem pretty suspicious. And Nolan, the older son, is beginning to see this as well. He is at an age where he starts questioning the peculiarities of his mother and her rules. One night, he walks at night and takes the protective rope off, and nothing happens. This moment confuses him — if his mom told him that the evil force would harm him but it did not, then is she telling the truth or is she lying? Or perhaps she has a more serious condition afflicting her? Is she capable of seeing evil spirits, or does she suffer from an entirely different condition? Never Let Go focuses on the family’s endurance in the wilderness for a lengthy part of the film.
At the beginning, there is not much drama — they are just waking up, fighting, searching for food. In situations of severe starvation, Indians have to chew tree bark to survive to survive. All of this creates a rather eerie, eerie mood, with the audience unsure whether the film is about supernatural evil or something else. Is it about the ‘he said, she said’ aspect where we have to believe our parents? Or, in other words, is it an exploration of the perils of believing entirely in something: be it divine authority or those individuals who take care of us as children? The movie also looks creepy.
Thanks to its talented cinematographer Maxime Alexandre, who worked on other horror films like Resident Evil: The desolate woods, the shadowy rooms, and the eerie ghosts (if they exist) make Raccoon City rather creepy. Feeling – love, fear, and distrust – are in the DNA of the movie, and the trio of Halle Berry and two child actors delivers. BERRY FLIPS BETWEEN A TIRED, STRESSED-OUT PARENT AND POSSIBLY SOMETHING WORSE, AS PER YOUR INTERPRETATION OF HER BEHAVIOUR.
However, the biggest problem that has to be mentioned with regards to the movie is that of its ending. It does not make complete sense at the end but poses more questions that can only be answered by the creators. It ends up with the climax that leaves the audiences on the edge of their seats, however, it doesn’t offer the finality of the issues the characters and the viewers have been through. The movie fails here, as it might have attempted to do too much without fully embracing any of the ideas in question. It wants to be earnest and ambitious in its themes: belief, trust – from the parents to their children, the nature of reality and imagination – but fails to make all of them work in the end.
In conclusion, while Never Let Go does have an interesting setting and plot premise, it fails to achieve the full potential that it could have had in the action/thriller genre. It is quite creepy and I must admit it ‘made the skin crawl’ so to speak, however, it isn’t really haunting and thus not what one would consider a ‘true’ horror movie. On the other hand, it catches your attention for some time but then — as the title implies —it slips away and you wish it had done more.
Never Let Go 2024 Parents Guide Age Rating
Never Let Go is rated PG by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA) for strong violent content and grisly images.
Violence and Gore: Never Let Go includes many scenes with suspense and fear, which have some moments that may be horrifying for children. Although the movie focuses on the psychological aspect as opposed to gore, there are scenes of physical confrontation and survival violence. There are scenes related to physicality and the conflicts are mostly between family members. It gets to the extent that the family members quarrel or engage in heated arguments most of the time. While there is not much actual blood and gore, there are many dark and suspenseful scenes, for example with ghosts, shadows in the forest, and a generally eerie environment. There could be scenes where blood is shed or somebody gets an injury while hunting animals or getting trapped by the larger nature forcefully. The psychological aspect of horror, which this film represents, may be more horrific than the straightforward and actual violence. Specifically, the concept of being locked in a basement more than once along with the presence of an unknown antagonist helps to create an overpowering tone of horror. There is little gore, though the movie has some tension and jump scares involving shadows and supernatural beings, which may be off-putting for some viewers.
Profanity: Although the movie is not filled with strong language, there are occasional uses of abusive language especially when some characters are under pressure or threatened. This would be in line with the R rating, and although the language is not constant, it may still be unfit for viewers below a certain age. They increase during episodes that are action-packed or where the characters are in danger. Chances are high that you will hear recent words for cursing such as damn, hell, and more complex elaborations depending on the pressure the individual is exposed to. Perhaps children or teens may overhear their parents take more rude words when they quarrel or when one is scolding the other.
Sexual Content: Although sex does not seem like it plays the most crucial role in Never Let Go, there are a few things to point out in terms of sexual themes or content: There is no actual sex in the entire movie, though some scenes may be interpreted as indicating that the characters are getting intimate to restore the protective power of the house. The love that powers the house is depicted as the rope, and though the scenes are not lewd, there is a hint of sexuality that teenagers may understand. The closeness between people could be sentimental, and the relationships depicted could be rather sexual than erotic. Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: The movie does not contain scenes that can be associated with using alcohol or drugs in an easily identifiable manner. However it is obtained, livelihood out in the wild may compel one to employ desperate measures to deal with rough circumstances, but these do not necessarily include drug and substance use. It is possible to watch Severine take a sip of alcohol to calm nerves, but alcohol abuse isn’t a primary focus of the movie.
Summary of Suitability: Never Let Go is not for children and teenagers below the age of twelve due to the psychological horror aspect, tense and oppressive environment, and scenes that can be considered frightening. It is a horror film that centers on a fear of something that exists beyond the tangible reality, strained family relationships, and blurred blurred lines between reality and fantasy. The R rating is suitable for the film because it is dark and violent, and deals with psychological horror, which would be disturbing for children.
