Never Let Go (2024), directed by Alexandre Aja, stars Halle Berry, Percy Daggs IV, Anthony B. Jenkins, William Catlett, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Mila Morgan, and Stephanie Lavigne. The film follows an unnamed mother (Berry) as she attempts to protect her two sons, Nolan (Daggs IV) and Samuel (Jenkins) from an evil force that can possess someone with a single touch. Their only line of defense are ropes tied to their home and blessed with ancient prayers. When winter approaches and their food supply begins to run low, one of the boys begins to doubt his mother’s stories. Is there truly something out there or is it all just in his mother’s head? 

Halle Berry makes a welcome return to the horror genre and provides a performance that feels a little more dark-edged than her typical roles. This element of darkness is strengthened by the script also providing the character with an aura of mystery that causes the audience to not quite trust her motivations. As for the two brothers played by Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins, I think they give mostly strong performances considering their age. However, the film often features long stretches where it asks the two to carry the dramatic heft, and I don’t think they’re always up to the task. When Berry disappears, the film feels like it loses a certain level of prestige.

Director Alexandre Aja proves once again that, at the very least, he’s one of the modern masters of jump scares. I think partly the reason the jump scares work besides the fact that they’re impeccably timed is that they’re not relied upon/overused. Surprisingly, this is actually the kind of horror film that relies mostly on tension and psychological horror as opposed to scary visuals or things that go “Boo!” All in all it’s a good mix that signals a director who seems to deeply understand the majority of genre tricks. 

Although the premise at its core is somewhat silly and underdeveloped, it’s undeniably original. On top of this, the script does a decent job of balancing definitive answers and open-ended subjectivity. In other words, the film explains exactly what it needs to and nothing more. This results in a script that has more room to focus on various twists and turns because it doesn’t waste its time on unnecessary exposition. The film constantly goes in directions that the viewer doesn’t expect and because of this feels satisfyingly paced. That being said, there’s a certain shift in focus at the beginning of the third act that essentially brings the pace to a halt for a good fifteen minutes. This would be a bigger issue, but the massive surprise of the direction itself somewhat balances the fact that it feels like things are essentially starting over. 

The production design here is also appropriately creepy in both its location and creature/ghost/monster design. Like his previous films High Tension (2003), The Hills Have Eyes (2004), and Mirrors (2008), Aja provides a good sense of gross uncomfortably to his horror. He can make the audience squirm not just through visuals, but also how he earns his scares. In other words, he sets them up through foreshadowing and character which easily makes them more effective. 

Overall, this is one of my bigger horror surprises of the year, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have it’s share of issues. Halle Berry is great, but the younger actors are a mixed bag. The script also takes a bit too long to get going in the first act and becomes a bit thematically confusing in the third. There’s also just a certain B-movie quality that might turn away some viewers, but for me, a lover of the genre, this was a great time. Honestly, I think it’s worth a watch for any horror fan simply for its originality and appropriately dark ending. B