FILM REVIEW
NEVER LET GO
Rated R
101 Minutes
Released September 20th
French director Alexandre Aja has become a rising star of today’s horror film genre. However, I don’t see his Never Let Go as a horror film – I feel it’s a psychological thriller, which is what makes it even more unsettling. Filmed from April to June 2023 in Vancouver BC, functioning as a “stand-in” for rural Tennessee, the movie sets up a place of intense isolation borne from a mental health crisis, which is frighteningly realistic.
The story surrounds the extreme lengths a mother will go to protect her children. It was one of those films conceived during the pandemic which explores isolation and its effects on human psyche and imagination. The story may catch you off guard for two reasons: the assumption that you are going to see a formulaic horror movie, and our societal assumption that our home is a place of safety. You will find that “love” is a key word here, the love for a mother and the love for a home.
Director Aja’s real name is Alexandre Jouan-Arcady. Born in Paris, he is the son of director Alexandre Arcady and movie critic Marie-Jo Jouan. He has been involved in the entertainment business since childhood, acting in his dad’s films. He started directing at age 18 and rose to international acclaim for his 2003 horror film Haute Tension.
After seeing that film, famed director Wes Craven asked Aja to form a concept for his film, The Hills Have Eyes (2006) and then chose him to direct that film, so Aja learned from the best. Aja has also directed several acclaimed horror movies, including Crawl (2019). He was nominated for horror film awards in 2006 and 2010.
Never Let Go has a very small but powerful cast, who carry the movie on their shoulders with ease. Halle Berry stars as a complex, excruciatingly troubled mother of two boys, and manages to radiate a look of normalcy that reveals that in her own eyes, she is calmly facing a terrifying “reality.” Berry was also a producer on the film, and as such, she knew that the successful casting of the two boys who play her sons was paramount to the integrity of the film. Aja noted, “She really pushed us to keep looking until we actually found these amazing young actors.” Percy Daggs IV who plays “Nolan” and Anthony B. Jenkins as “Sam” both give astounding performances. The interchanges between their characters are beautifully written and show subtle hints to their personality differences, along with the often-intense dynamics you would see in real brothers.
Their performances also reflect the skill of the director and of fellow cast member Berry. The two boys had to work especially hard at physical acting, to master working with a heavy rope to appear as if they had been using it their whole lives. I feel the need to mention another cast member who often steals his scenes – a dog named “Coda” who is played by an excellent canine thespian named “Brass.”
A recurring theme in Aja’s films seems to be characters trapped in a limited space. Aja says of the script for this film, “it reminded me of a classic fairy tale, but it was still connected to our world.” The camera’s depiction of the peaceful serenity of the woods, also another element of many fairy tales, takes over the screen at times as a counterpoint to the unsettled emotions inside the house. The ode to the house that the boys must repeat whenever they stray from the rules, is also a contrast with the nature of their lives within the four walls. It functions as their prayer that they must recite to regain security. Never Let Go plays on the universal fear of being confined and alone in the world with no one to help.
Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com
