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Never Let Go (2024 film)

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Never Let Go
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAlexandre Aja
Written by
  • Kevin Coughlin
  • Ryan Grassby
Produced by
Starring
  • Halle Berry
  • Percy Daggs IV
  • Anthony B. Jenkins
  • Matthew Kevin Anderson
  • Christin Park
  • Stephanie Lavigne
CinematographyMaxime Alexandre
Edited byElliot Greenberg
Music byRobin "Rob" Coudert
Production
companies
Distributed byLionsgate
Release dates
  • September 16, 2024 (2024-09-16) (Regal Times Square)
  • September 20, 2024 (2024-09-20) (United States)
Running time
101 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million[2]
Box office$6.1 million[3]

Never Let Go is a 2024 American survival horror thriller film directed by Alexandre Aja and written by Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby. The film stars Halle Berry, Percy Daggs IV, Anthony B. Jenkins, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Christin Park, and Stephanie Lavigne.

Never Let Go premiered at the Regal Times Square in New York City on September 16, 2024, and was released in the United States by Lionsgate on September 20, 2024. The film received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

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A woman (credited as "Momma") and her two young children Nolan and Samuel live in a cabin in a large remote forest. According to Momma, a supernatural force known as "The Evil" has spread across the world, causing it to end and leaving them the only survivors.

Momma is besieged by visions of supernatural entities that her sons cannot see but believe are real. The family spends their days foraging and hunting for food. In order to prevent the Evil from touching them, which Momma says ensures possession, the family must have ropes tied when they leave the house, connecting them back to the building. The boys must also chant a daily prayer to the house in thanks for it keeping them safe from the Evil.

While out foraging one day, Samuel and Nolan get into an argument until Nolan accidentally steps on Samuel's rope, causing Samuel to fall, get disconnected from his rope, and break his ankle. Nolan unties himself to try and rescue Samuel before the boys are rescued by Momma, who encounters the Evil in the shape of her mother although her children do not see it. As Samuel recovers from his fall, Nolan, who has started to disbelieve his mother's claims, questions him on what he saw but Samuel dismisses his suspicions. Nolan's doubts continue to grow.

A brutal winter forces the family to use up a large amount of their stockpiled food, resulting in them being unable to grow or hunt any new food. Meanwhile, Momma's visions intensify, including seeing the boy's father and her husband, whom she killed, along with her own mother and father as well as that of a mutilated Nolan. Sensing discontent from her sons, Momma tells them about her old life in the city and shows them an old Polaroid camera with one photo left.

Now fully out of food and forced to eat tree bark, Momma states that they need to kill and eat the family dog. Nolan is horrified and, when Momma takes the dog into the greenhouse to kill him, he cuts Momma's rope and locks her inside, hoping she will see the Evil is not real. Instead, Momma encounters the Evil in the form of her mother, committing suicide in front of Nolan. Samuel blames Nolan for causing Momma's death. As they continue to starve alone, Samuel's behavior becomes more erratic and threatening.

Using the extra free rope from his mother, Nolan travels further out of the woods and finds an empty road. Returning to the house, he encounters a hiker who has heard his calls for help. As the hiker grows increasingly concerned over Nolan's story and living conditions, Samuel confronts him with a crossbow. Although Nolan and the hiker try to de-escalate the situation, Samuel shoots the hiker. Nolan follows the hiker as he calls 911 and dies before retrieving his backpack filled with food. That night, a young girl arrives at the property claiming to be the hiker's daughter and confronts Samuel. Noticing that Samuel has her father's torch, she flees as he chases after her. The girl reveals herself to be the Evil and manages to touch Samuel.

Back at the house, Samuel, now seemingly possessed and exhibiting the same erratic behavior as Momma, tries to kill Nolan. Samuel sets the house on fire as Nolan is confronted by the Evil in the form of Momma. Nolan drags Momma into a small crawlspace in the house that gives shelter to the pair of them from the fire. The Evil sheds Momma's skin to reveal a snake-like creature that dissipates as Nolan hugs it. The fire burns the house down and Samuel takes the last photo with the Polaroid. Paramedics arrive and retrieve Nolan from the remains of the house. As he is flown away, Nolan asks where Samuel is and sees that he too has been rescued. The helicopter reaches civilization, revealing that Momma was lying all along. Samuel quietly whispers to Nolan "She loves me more" as the Polaroid he took is shown, revealing the Evil is still touching him.

Cast

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  • Halle Berry as Momma
  • Percy Daggs IV as Nolan
  • Anthony B. Jenkins as Samuel
  • Matthew Kevin Anderson as The Stranger
  • Christin Park as Paramedic
  • Stephanie Lavigne as The Evil

Production

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In August 2020, Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby's horror script Mother Land was acquired by Shawn Levy's company 21 Laps Entertainment with Lionsgate Films set to distribute.[4] In April 2021, Mark Romanek was hired to direct the film.[5] The following month, it was announced that Romanek left the project and Alexandre Aja was set to direct with Halle Berry joining the cast.[6] In June 2022, Lionsgate sold the international rights to multiple companies during the Cannes Film Festival.[7] In April 2023, Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins joined the cast of the film, which had been retitled Never Let Go.[8] In May 2024, it was revealed that Matthew Kevin Anderson, Christin Park, and Stephanie Lavigne were added to the cast.[9] Principal photography took place in Vancouver, British Columbia from April 17 to June 2, 2023.[10][11] Robin "Rob" Coudert composed the film's score.[12]

Release

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The world premiere of Never Let Go was held at the Regal Times Square theater in New York City on September 16, 2024.[13] It was shown as a gala screening on the opening night of Fantastic Fest on September 19, 2024,[14] and was released theatrically in the United States on September 20.[15] It was originally set for September 27, taking over the original release date for Saw XI.[16]

Reception

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Box office

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In the United States and Canada, Never Let Go was released alongside The Substance and Transformers One, and is projected to gross $4–7 million from 2,667 theaters in its opening weekend.[2] The film made $1.6 million on its first day, including $360,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $4.5 million, finishing in fourth.[17]

Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 62% of 73 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "Director Alexandre Aja's latest horror offering boasts anxiety-inducing atmosphere and a committed performance from Halle Berry, although audiences will have to let go of some storytelling expectations to enjoy the ride."[18] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 56 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[19] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by PostTrak gave it a 67% overall positive score.[17]

Potential future

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In September 2024, Berry confirmed the studio's plans to develop the film into a horror franchise. The actress expressed interest in the idea, while confirming that stories for a prequel and sequels had been written.[20]

References

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  1. ^ "Never Let Go (15)". BBFC. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  2. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 17, 2024). "Paramount & Hasbro's 'Transformers One' Rolling To $30M+ Opening – Box Office Preview". Deadline. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  3. ^ "Never Let Go – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  4. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 12, 2016). "Lionsgate Acquires Horror Spec 'Mother Land'; 21 Laps' Shawn Levy & Dan Cohen To Produce". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  5. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 6, 2021). "Director Mark Romanek Returns To Movies With 'Mother Land' At Lionsgate & 21 Laps". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 6, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  6. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 9, 2022). "Halle Berry To Star In Thriller 'Mother Land' For Lionsgate, 'Stranger Things' Outfit 21 Laps & Director Alexandre Aja — Cannes Market Hot Pic". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  7. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 9, 2022). "Lionsgate Inks Raft Of Multimillion-Dollar Pre-Sales On Movie Slate Including 'Hunger Games' Prequel & 'Dirty Dancing' Sequel". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  8. ^ Grobar, Matt (April 19, 2023). "Percy Daggs IV & Anthony B. Jenkins Join Halle Berry Thriller 'Never Let Go' From Lionsgate, 21 Laps". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 25, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  9. ^ Zee, Michaela (May 16, 2024). "'Never Let Go' Trailer: Halle Berry Battles an Evil Spirit to Survive in New Horror Film Directed by Alexandre Aja". Variety. Archived from the original on May 22, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  10. ^ "In Production". Creative BC Film Commission. March 30, 2023. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  11. ^ "Never Let Go: Halle Berry / Alexandre Aja horror project is now filming". JoBlo.com. April 20, 2023. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  12. ^ "Rob Scoring Alexandre Aja's Never Let Go'". FilmMusicReporter. September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  13. ^ Longmire, Becca (September 17, 2024). "Halle Berry Glitters from All Angles in Golden Crystal Mesh Halter Gown at Never Let Go World Premiere". People. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  14. ^ Grobar, Matt (August 15, 2024). "Fantastic Fest Unveils 2024 Lineup Featuring 'Terrifier 3,' 'Apartment 7A,' 'Anora,' 'Never Let Go' & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  15. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 13, 2024). "Halle Berry Horror Movie Never Let Go Going Earlier In The Fall". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  16. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 9, 2024). "The Crow Flies To August, Halle Berry Pic Never Let Go Sets Fall, Saw XI To Slice 2025, 'Best Christmas Pageant Ever' Earlier – Lionsgate Release Date Changes". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  17. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 22, 2024). "Weekend Box Office Upset! 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' At $26M Dispels 'Transformers One' From No. 1; Halle Berry & Demi Moore Genre Pics Come Up Short — Sunday AM Update". Deadline. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  18. ^ "Never Let Go". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  19. ^ "Never Let Go". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  20. ^ Burlingame, Russ (September 24, 2024). "Halle Berry Says They Have Prequels and Sequels Figured Out for Never Let Go". ComicBook.com. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
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