Title: Never Let Go
MPA Rating: R
Director: Alexandre Aja
Starring: Halle Berry, Anthony B. Jenkins, Percy Daggs IV
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins

What It Is: A mother (Berry) and her two sons Samuel (Jenkins) and Nolan (Daggs IV) live in their home. A home that their mother has said is blessed with a Holy spirit. This home protects them from the dangers of a possessed forest. A forest their mother has said is shrouded in evil. They must never let go of the rope when outside the house. But is all what it seems, or is there something else going on…something far more sinister.

What We Think: M. Night did this better. I said what I said. Here’s the thing: I legitimately despise The Village, but it’s still better than Alexandre Aja’s take on these proceedings. Berry is trying her best with a script that gives her nothing—just spooky vibes and the hope you won’t notice how kind of dumb it all is. I sat there wondering what I had gotten myself into. Had I made the right choice to spend a festival slot on this? I came to the conclusion that I really hadn’t, and I probably should’ve gone elsewhere. It was just a predictable mess.

Our Grade: C-, Mediocrity at its finest. A neutered Aja is an uninteresting one. Dragging Halle Berry into this added nothing. She’s a talented actress, but even she can’t elevate such a bland, also-ran script. The child actors are good—for child actors. There are always too many films aiming for the “spooky kids” aesthetic, and it doesn’t work here. At the end of the day, this is a harmless, silly little horror film that’s competently made, even if it’s boring as hell. Check it out if you’re a horror completionist who needs to see every scary thing that comes out. Otherwise, this isn’t very good and might work well as nap fuel.