MOVIE REVIEW: NEVER LET GO

 

When an unspeakable evil takes over the world, the only protection for a mother and her twin sons is their house and strong bond. Needing to stay connected at all times -- even tethering themselves with ropes -- they must cling to one another and never let go. However, when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, the ties that bind them together are severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival.

Director: Alexandre Aja

Cast: Halle Berry, Percy Daggs IV, Anthony B. Jenkins, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Christin Park, Stephanie Lavigne

Release Date: September 20, 2024

Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller

Rated R for strong violent content and grisly images.

Runtime: 1h 42m

Review:

Never Let Go's dark fable offers up a fascinating morality tale which is carried by a strong central performance from Halle Berry paired with surprisingly impressive turns from her young costars Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins.  Director, Alexandre Aja, delivers a beautifully crafted film that makes great use of sound design and setting to create a foreboding atmosphere throughout.  Aja made his name in the horror genre by being someone who's willing to push the boundaries of blood and gore but here he shows a solid level of restraint as he makes judicious use of the grotesque imaginary which works in the film's favor.  He's smart enough to set the table and let his cast do the rest.  Halle Berry is fully committed from the moment she appears onscreen as she gives her character a palpable sense of protective motherly energy with a crazed, off kilter undercurrent during every interaction.  There's a subtly to her performance that adds so much more tortured depth that might have been lost in the hands of lesser actress.  Her young costars, lead by Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins, prove to be more than capable of holding their own onscreen with Berry.  Daggs IV and Jenkins bring an easy naturalism to their performances that's rare for such young performers.  Jenkins gives the eldest son an unflinching belief in his mother's teaching while Daggs IV's is more inquisitive and open to question her.  The trio of performances elevates the script which doesn't offer the kind of surprises you'd hope for especially for such an intriguing set up.  The turn is telegraphed fairly on which makes the final act feel more perfunctory than revelatory even as Aja tries to leave things a bit more ambiguous.  Still, it doesn't keep Never Let Go from leaving a solid impression due in large part to a strong turn from its director and cast.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: MANIAC

Elijah Wood steps into the role made iconic by Joe Spinell in this reboot of the 1980 cult classic featuring an artistic style that takes you into the killer's POV. When a mannequin store owner (Wood) meets an attractive artist (Megan Duffy), his psychotic impulses are awakened and soon he starts a murderous rampage across L.A. Piranha 3D's screenwriting duo of Alexandre Aja and Gregory Levasseur provide the script, with P2's Franck Khalfoun handling directing duties. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Franck Khalfoun

Cast: Elijah Wood, Nora Arnezeder, Megan Duffy

Runtime: 89 min

Rating: Not Rated

Release Date: Jun 21, 2013

Genres: Horror

Review:

The original Maniac is one of those grindhouse nasties that really captured New York in the late 70’s early 80’s. It had a tangible sense of the grime and nastiness wrapped in its cheap yet disturbing dissection of a serial killer. I’d never say it’s a classic but it’s one of the better grindhouse films from that era. The remake, stylishly directed by Frank Khalfoun, is mesmerizing unsettling walk into the mind of a self loathing killer. Khalfoun’s decision to shoot the film from the killers POV works incredibly well. We hear his thoughts yet rarely see his face as he tracks his victims; the voyeuristic nature of it all is terribly unsettling. The kills themselves are incredibly gory and not for the squeamish at all. Elijah Wood is fully committed to the role even if it amounts to narration for the better part of the film. The film has a strong bit of polish but it does borrow heavily from horror classic but beats the mommy issues into the ground with its heavy handed approach. Some subtly would have worked in the film’s favor. Still it’s probably the most disturbing serial killer film I’ve seen since Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.

B

Alexander Aja’s PIRANHA 3-D 9 min bootleg footage

9 mins of crazy bloody footage filled with gore and nudity.....NSFW

The original movie was always a childhood favorite of mine, don't ask, and this one looks like it might have just captured the spirit of it....