Never Let Go (2024)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- Momma (Halle Berry) lives in a secluded cabin deep in the woods with her sons, Nolan (Percy Daggs IV) and Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins), and the family dog, Coda. Facing a daily struggle without any recent signs of survivors, Momma constantly fights to protect Samuel and Nolan from The Evil, a malevolent shape-shifting force, in a seemingly post-apocalyptic world. Momma has one crucial rule for survival: never remove or let go of the rope, or the “lifeline” connected to the house, because The Evil’s touch comes with fatal consequences.

Food is scarce, and as more time passes, Nolan starts to question Momma’s strange behavior and the reasons behind her decisions. Has the world come to an end? Or is it possible Momma is hiding something from Nolan and Samuel?

My Thoughts- Halle Berry strongly plays the role of a fierce and dedicated mother, who deeply loves her sons. Momma has moments of compassion, but she’s also stern and cruel during certain scenes. Maybe you can understand why Momma is hard on Nolan and Samuel, because after all, they’re allegedly trying to survive an apocalyptic event. 

As the story progresses, you’ll see Momma unravel more and more. The frazzled look for Momma helps during her descent into madness, and Berry does a great job of showing believable emotions. The stress, the panicked reactions, how unstable Momma becomes, when she believes The Evil is closing in, but Momma occasionally has just enough clarity to savor a few happy and peaceful moments with her sons. Momma is a complicated character with so many layers, and Halle Berry absolutely nails each one of them.

The tense relationship between Nolan and Samuel is truly one of the bigger highlights of the movie, strengthened by two solid performances from Anthony B. Jenkins and Percy Daggs IV. Nolan is more of a rebel, and a freethinker, while Samuel is obedient and one hundred percent loyal to his mother. The brotherly feud hits a boiling point after that scene in the greenhouse. Jenkins and Daggs IV carried Never Let Go to the finish line, a remarkable achievement for a movie that features a big veteran star. 

So what’s going on? Is the outside world a post-apocalyptic wasteland? Is something off upstairs with Momma? Well, they hold off the big reveal until the final moments of the movie, and guess what? Everything is fine! The appearance of a hiker (Matthew Kevin Anderson) and his daughter (Cadence Compton), no apocalypse, and the outside world and civilization is intact.

The Evil? Mental illness. The clues for something being off with Momma are obvious. A lot of her decisions didn’t make any sense, and I always had the feeling she was hiding something. Momma killing off the family was a big red flag. 

Sure, MAYBE you could buy into the idea that Momma had to kill her mother, her father, and Nolan and Samuel’s father to protect them from the infection, but that line of thinking falls apart, when you realize Momma is the only one, who can actually see The Evil. It was all just hallucinations, and in the end, Momma was a mentally ill mother, who was too far gone, and a danger to her children.

The big clincher happens, when Nolan sees the hallucination of Momma. Momma tells Nolan mental illness is in the blood, like a disease, and that he should give in. The final sequence with Nolan trying to escape the burning cabin, after a demented Samuel decided to burn everything delivers some solid thrills. Samuel blamed Nolan for Momma committing suicide. The tension between Nolan and Samuel finally hit a boiling point, and Samuel snapped, something that was teased a lot after Momma’s death.

An eerie ending, with Nolan and Samuel surviving after the fight, Momma’s death, and Nolan’s struggle to escape the cabin. And a few creepy moments, including the Polaroid photo with The Evil’s hand touching Samuel’s shoulder, and Samuel repeating the “She loves me more” line with that bizarre smile on his face.

Never Let Go leaves some puzzling unanswered questions. What was on the one photo Momma refused to show to Nolan and Samuel, the one she was saving for later? What exactly led Momma to do everything that she did, including hunkering down in the cabin? Yes, I know mental illness, and a mother protecting her children from the evils of the world are big factors. But there’s a difference between spoon feeding the answers, and not giving some kind of explanation, or at least dropping some hints that’ll lead somewhere.

It drags in certain parts, and the scenes, where The Evil appears in different forms are kind of hokey. But Never Let Go is still a solid film. Director Alexandre Aja gets the most out of an isolated setting in the forest, using silence and the sounds of nature to create a tense atmosphere, including a few spooky nighttime scenes. Halle Berry delivers a good performance in the leading role. Jenkins and Dagger IV contributed to the strained and sometimes broken family dynamic with a pair of impressive performances, and you can understand why Nolan and Samuel chose different paths before and after the greenhouse scene. 

Never Let Go cleverly connects the problems with suffering from a mental illness and evil. Going with the idea for evil and mental illnesses sharing a connection as a sort of infection or a disease, especially if it’s something that runs in the family, really works. If The Evil touches you, there’s a good chance it’ll destroy your mind (you can see what happened to Samuel during the ending). The scenes are a bit corny, but using snakes to represent The Evil makes sense, considering what they were going for. Momma pointed out The Evil can be deceptive, while wearing many skins, similar to a snake shedding its skin. 

The finale and the ending? For me, the big reveal wasn’t a shocking surprise. If you pay close attention to everything that’s going on, you should see the answers are right in front of you for what’s real and what’s not real, because certain events and Momma’s explanations just aren’t adding up, as the story progresses. Still, I guess you could say it’s a mostly satisfying and happy ending. And I’m slightly curious about a sequel or a prequel, because Never Let Go still needs to answer some big questions. 

Rating- 7/10

Never Let Go (2024)(Minor Spoilers)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Momma (Halle Berry) lives in a secluded cabin deep in the woods with her sons, Nolan (Percy Daggs IV) and Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins), and the family dog, Coda. Facing a daily struggle without any recent signs of survivors, Momma constantly fights to protect Samuel and Nolan from The Evil, a malevolent shape-shifting force, in a seemingly post-apocalyptic world. Momma has one crucial rule for survival: never remove or let go of the rope, or the “lifeline” connected to the house, because The Evil’s touch comes with fatal consequences.

Food is scarce, and as more time passes, Nolan starts to question Momma’s strange behavior and the reasons behind her decisions. Has the world come to an end? Or is it possible Momma is hiding something from Nolan and Samuel?

My Thoughts- Halle Berry strongly plays the role of a fierce and dedicated mother, who deeply loves her sons. Momma has moments of compassion, but she’s also stern and cruel during certain scenes. Maybe you can understand why Momma is hard on Nolan and Samuel, because after all, they’re allegedly trying to survive an apocalyptic event. 

As the story progresses, you’ll see Momma unravel more and more. The frazzled look for Momma helps during her descent into madness, and Berry does a great job of showing believable emotions. The stress, the panicked reactions, how unstable Momma becomes, when she believes The Evil is closing in, but Momma occasionally has just enough clarity to savor a few happy and peaceful moments with her sons. Momma is a complicated character with so many layers, and Halle Berry absolutely nails each one of them.

The tense relationship between Nolan and Samuel is truly one of the bigger highlights of the movie, strengthened by two solid performances from Anthony B. Jenkins and Percy Daggs IV. Nolan is more of a rebel, and a freethinker, while Samuel is obedient and one hundred percent loyal to his mother. The brotherly feud hits a boiling point after that scene in the greenhouse. Jenkins and Daggs IV carried Never Let Go to the finish line, a remarkable achievement for a movie that features a big veteran star. 

Never Let Go leaves some puzzling unanswered questions. What was on the one photo Momma refused to show to Nolan and Samuel, the one she was saving for later? What exactly led Momma to do everything that she did, including hunkering down in the cabin? Yes, I know mental illness, and a mother protecting her children from the evils of the world are big factors. But there’s a difference between spoon feeding the answers, and not giving some kind of explanation, or at least dropping some hints that’ll lead somewhere.

It drags in certain parts, and the scenes, where The Evil appears in different forms are kind of hokey. But Never Let Go is still a solid film. Director Alexandre Aja gets the most out of an isolated setting in the forest, using silence and the sounds of nature to create a tense atmosphere, including a few spooky nighttime scenes. Halle Berry delivers a good performance in the leading role. Jenkins and Dagger IV contributed to the strained and sometimes broken family dynamic with a pair of impressive performances, and you can understand why Nolan and Samuel chose different paths before and after the greenhouse scene. 

Never Let Go cleverly connects the problems with suffering from a mental illness and evil. Going with the idea for evil and mental illnesses sharing a connection as a sort of infection or a disease, especially if it’s something that runs in the family, really works. If The Evil touches you, there’s a good chance it’ll destroy your mind. The scenes are a bit corny, but using snakes to represent The Evil makes sense, considering what they were going for. Momma pointed out The Evil can be deceptive, while wearing many skins, similar to a snake shedding its skin. 

The finale and the ending? For me, the big reveal wasn’t a shocking surprise. If you pay close attention to everything that’s going on, you should see the answers are right in front of you for what’s real and what’s not real, because certain events and Momma’s explanations just aren’t adding up, as the story progresses. Still, I guess you could say it’s a mostly satisfying and happy ending. And I’m slightly curious about a sequel or a prequel, because Never Let Go still needs to answer some big questions. 

Rating- 7/10

Trap (2024)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- Cooper (Josh Hartnett) takes his daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to a concert headlined by Lady Raven (Saleka Night Shyamalan), a popular pop singer. Unbeknownst to Riley, his wife, Rachel (Alison Pill), and his son, Logan (Lochlan Miller), Cooper lives a secret double life as The Butcher, a smart and calculating serial killer.

Cooper runs into an unexpected dilemma, when a merchandise stand worker named Jamie (Jonathan Langdon) reveals the concert is actually an elaborate trap designed to catch The Butcher. With Lady Raven’s help and guidance from FBI profiler Dr. Josephine Grant (Hayley Mills), the seemingly air tight trap complicates Cooper’s plans to escape.

Cooper devises a series of schemes and distractions, but the walls are closing in. Lady Raven has a chance to save Spencer (Mark Bacolcol), The Butcher’s latest victim, but Cooper comes up with a plan to escape with Riley….

My Thoughts- He’s a husband, a father, a firefighter, and a serial killer! Cooper is a man of many faces. Josh Hartnett delivers an amazing performance, playing a dangerous chameleon, who’s capable of switching personalities at the right time to fit whatever the situation calls for. Cooper is a devious and persistent tactician, who won’t be denied. The details and the little nuances for Cooper really pulls everything together. Whether it’s calmly cleaning or neatly folding a shirt in highly stressful situations, you can clearly see Cooper is a man with a lot of loose screws.

The narcissism, his massive ego, the constant lies, the phony good guy persona, and the fact that Cooper’s troubling problems are all rooted in serious mommy issues is noticeable. But you can also tell Cooper is a man, who truly loves his family. 

Yes, he’s a cold-hearted egomaniac, who doesn’t hesitate to step on anyone to get what he wants. But Cooper wants to be around for his children. Notice how excited Cooper is, while he’s basically playing the “cool dad” with Riley at the concert. Hartnett does a good job of being convincing as someone, who’s torn between the sadistic lifestyle of a serial killer and a family man, especially towards the end. Cooper wants it all, to have his cake and eat it too, and he becomes furious, when he realizes he’ll probably lose everything.

Saleka Night Shyamalan’s character is carefully crafted for Trap. She’s already a pop star in real life, so it’s not surprising that she’s noticeably comfortable playing Lady Raven, including the performances. It’s a role that suits her, and well, you have to believe she’s just being herself, or a more exaggerated version of herself. 

Lady Raven is a likable character, someone, who’s humble and compassionate. The final stretch gets a little weird, when Lady Raven tries to play mind games with Cooper (specifically that scene in the car). I’m not saying it’s bad acting, but certain parts are kind of awkward, and they do feel a bit forced. 

M. Night Shyamalan completely lost me with the ending. So let me see if I have this right. You pull out all the stops to catch The Butcher. Hordes of cops, tactical teams, and you set a trap for him during a concert. EVERYTHING except for the National Guard and the Navy Seals to stop this guy. And for some reason, when he’s completely surrounded by cops you let him touch a bike, giving him the opportunity to grab a spoke off of the wheel? On top of that, Cooper uses that spoke to unlock his handcuffs, so now there’s a chance to escape? Again?

It’s a bummer for me, because I was completely hooked in for everything leading up to the ending. The tense moments between Cooper and Rachel in the kitchen, the cat and mouse games between Lady Raven and Cooper, including Raven racing against the clock to save Spencer, and knowing Cooper was so close to completely losing it and killing Rachel. And Cooper finally giving in to visions of his deceased mother (Marcia Bennett), after trying so hard to ignore her throughout the movie.

But if you’re going the route of capturing The Butcher, then he should’ve been caught with no shenanigans. It just defies all kinds of logic after all the careful planning, having an expert FBI profiler on the case, and numerous strong walls of security. Why? Because he’s that good? Sorry, I just didn’t buy the whole idea that The Butcher is supposed to be Houdini, when he’s surrounded by a group of armed officers. 

The close calls are tight and there’s a few good nail-biters, while Cooper improvises his possible escape routes. But for me most of it is undone with the ending, because there’s just too much ridiculous BS in the final moments. 

Hartnett is fantastic. There’s no denying that, but it’s a case, where Shyamalan gets a bit too enamored with Cooper/The Butcher. There’s absolutely no reason why what happened should’ve happened during the ending, considering the circumstances, and knowing how dangerous Cooper is and what he’s capable of.

Still, Trap is an entertaining psychological thriller. Good methodical pacing, the concert scenes have a strong sense of realism, and there’s one brutal scene involving a deep fryer. There’s also something genuinely creepy about Cooper explaining why he goes after his victims. The Butcher believes no human being is truly whole, and that mindset plays a big role for him, when he decides to literally cut his victims into pieces. Really the kind of stuff that makes your skin crawl. 

This is The Josh Hartnett Show. Hartnett’s tour de force performance is impressive, but there’s also some noteworthy performances from the supporting cast. Ariel Donoghue playing the exuberant teenage girl, or Alison Pill showing believable emotions for a conflicted Rachel, because she still wants to believe Cooper is a good person. Also, Hayley Mills is appropriately cast as the wise old veteran character, who’s smart  and knows how to keep her composure. 

There’s also some good humor here. Jonathan Langdon has his moments (I genuinely laughed at Jamie’s reaction during the mid-credits scene, when he finds out Cooper is The Butcher.) as the upbeat and enthusiastic vendor. Kid Cudi is good for a few laughs as Thinker, an egotistical diva with a bad attitude. Marine McPhail-Diamond is hilarious as Jody’s (Riley’s ex-friend) mother, the sort of unhinged Pollyanna, with a “dark side.” 

And of course it wouldn’t be an M. Night Shyamalan without a cameo from the man himself! As usual, I don’t mind Shyamalan’s cameos. It’s a brief appearance, and his character (he plays Lady Raven’s uncle) moves the story forward without unnecessarily taking anything away from the developments during the home stretch. 

The story of the firefighter living in the suburbs, moonlighting as an infamous serial killer was loaded with potential. I had high hopes for Trap, but it’s not a complete misfire. Shyamalan’s still capable of delivering wild and thought-provoking stories, and Trap proves he doesn’t need to rely on a big shocking twist. I was waiting for the swerve, because it’s Shyamalan, but I’m glad he decided to go with a more straightforward style of storytelling.

Rating- 6/10

Trap (2024)(Minor Spoilers)

  

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Cooper (Josh Hartnett) takes his daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to a concert headlined by Lady Raven (Saleka Night Shyamalan), a popular pop singer. Unbeknownst to Riley, his wife, Rachel (Alison Pill), and his son, Logan (Lochlan Miller), Cooper lives a secret double life as The Butcher, a smart and calculating serial killer.

Cooper runs into an unexpected dilemma, when a merchandise stand worker named Jamie (Jonathan Langdon) reveals the concert is actually an elaborate trap designed to catch The Butcher. With Lady Raven’s help and guidance from FBI profiler Dr. Josephine Grant (Hayley Mills), the seemingly air tight trap complicates Cooper’s plans to escape.

Cooper devises a series of schemes and distractions, but the walls are closing in. Lady Raven has a chance to save Spencer (Mark Bacolcol), The Butcher’s latest victim, but Cooper comes up with a plan to escape with Riley….

My Thoughts- He’s a husband, a father, a firefighter, and a serial killer! Cooper is a man of many faces. Josh Hartnett delivers an amazing performance, playing a dangerous chameleon, who’s capable of switching personalities at the right time to fit whatever the situation calls for. Cooper is a devious and persistent tactician, who won’t be denied. The details and the little nuances for Cooper really pulls everything together. Whether it’s calmly cleaning or neatly folding a shirt in highly stressful situations, you can clearly see Cooper is a man with a lot of loose screws.

The narcissism, his massive ego, the constant lies, the phony good guy persona, and the fact that Cooper’s troubling problems are all rooted in serious mommy issues is noticeable. But you can also tell Cooper is a man, who truly loves his family.  

Yes, he’s a cold-hearted egomaniac, who doesn’t hesitate to step on anyone to get what he wants. But Cooper wants to be around for his children. Notice how excited Cooper is, while he’s basically playing the “cool dad” with Riley at the concert. Hartnett does a good job of being convincing as someone, who’s torn between the sadistic lifestyle of a serial killer and a family man, especially towards the end. Cooper wants it all, to have his cake and eat it too, and he becomes furious, when he realizes he’ll probably lose everything.

Saleka Night Shyamalan’s character is carefully crafted for Trap. She’s already a pop star in real life, so it’s not surprising that she’s noticeably comfortable playing Lady Raven, including the performances. It’s a role that suits her, and well, you have to believe she’s just being herself, or a more exaggerated version of herself. 

Lady Raven is a likable character, someone, who’s humble and compassionate. The final stretch gets a little weird, when Lady Raven tries to play mind games with Cooper (specifically that scene in the car). I’m not saying it’s bad acting, but certain parts are kind of awkward, and they do feel a bit forced.

The close calls are tight and there’s a few good nail-biters, while Cooper improvises his possible escape routes. But for me most of it is undone with the ending, because there’s just too much ridiculous BS in the final moments. 

Hartnett is fantastic. There’s no denying that, but it’s a case, where Shyamalan gets a bit too enamored with Cooper/The Butcher. There’s absolutely no reason why what happened should’ve happened during the ending, considering the circumstances, and knowing how dangerous Cooper is and what he’s capable of.

Still, Trap is an entertaining psychological thriller. Good methodical pacing, the concert scenes have a strong sense of realism, and there’s one brutal scene involving a deep fryer. There’s also something genuinely creepy about Cooper explaining why he goes after his victims. The Butcher believes no human being is truly whole, and that mindset plays a big role for him, when he decides to literally cut his victims into pieces. Really the kind of stuff that makes your skin crawl. 

This is The Josh Hartnett Show. Hartnett’s tour de force performance is impressive, but there’s also some noteworthy performances from the supporting cast. Ariel Donoghue playing the exuberant teenage girl, or Alison Pill showing believable emotions for a conflicted Rachel, because she still wants to believe Cooper is a good person. Also, Hayley Mills is appropriately cast as the wise old veteran character, who’s smart  and knows how to keep her composure. 

There’s also some good humor here. Jonathan Langdon has his moments as the upbeat and enthusiastic vendor. Kid Cudi is good for a few laughs as Thinker, an egotistical diva with a bad attitude. Marine McPhail-Diamond is hilarious as Jody’s (Riley’s ex-friend) mother, the sort of unhinged Pollyanna, with a “dark side.” 

And of course it wouldn’t be an M. Night Shyamalan without a cameo from the man himself! As usual, I don’t mind Shyamalan’s cameos. It’s a brief appearance, and his character (he plays Lady Raven’s uncle) moves the story forward without unnecessarily taking anything away from the developments during the home stretch. 

The story of the firefighter living in the suburbs, moonlighting as an infamous serial killer was loaded with potential. I had high hopes for Trap, but it’s not a complete misfire. Shyamalan’s still capable of delivering wild and thought-provoking stories, and Trap proves he doesn’t need to rely on a big shocking twist. I was waiting for the swerve, because it’s Shyamalan, but I’m glad he decided to go with a more straightforward style of storytelling.

Rating- 6/10

Coming Attractions- The Woman In The Yard

 

Director- Jaume Collet-Serra

Cast- Danielle Deadwyler, Okwui Okpokwasili, Estella Kahiha, Russell Hornsby, Peyton Jackson

Release Date- March 28, 2025

A creepy and mysterious trailer for The Woman In The Yard. We’re not exactly sure what the woman in the black wants, but you can clearly see the family takes her seriously as a threat and they’re terrified of her. 

Going by the reactions from everyone at the house, you have to believe there’s some kind of familiarity or a connection to the woman. I’m glad this trailer doesn’t give away too much, leaving a lot of room for questions about what’s going to happen, when the woman finally makes her move. Also, the nursery rhyme at the beginning of the trailer is a nice touch to help build some mystique. 

House Of Wax (2005) is a fantastic horror remake, and I always enjoyed Jaume Collet-Serra’s collaborations with Liam Neeson. But I’m uneasy about certain parts in this trailer. The entity dragging someone across the floor is a worn out scare tactic in horror films. A good premise, but it’s a mainstream PG-13 horror film, so the familiar cliches might pop up, but Blumhouse is usually reliable, if we’re talking about horror films. 

Coming Attractions- Presence

 

Cast- Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Eddy Maday, Lucas Papaelias, West Mulholland, Callina Liang, Julia Fox

Director- Steven Soderbergh

Release Date- January 24, 2025

A haunting horror film shown from the perspective of the entity could deliver a refreshing twist. It’s an approach that’ll possibly cut down on the jump scares. It’ll be interesting to see how the entity’s attacks, or the mind games affects each member of the family, with a more voyeuristic style of storytelling. But on the flip side of that, there’s also the chance the entity’s POV is Presence’s only redeemable quality. 

Steven Soderbergh is one of my favorite directors. Soderbergh has the ability to jump from one genre to the next, while making good films. If the trailer is a sign of things to come, Presence is going the route of methodical pacing, with a handful of supernatural jolts. 

Coming Attractions- Heart Eyes

 

Director- Josh Ruben

Cast- Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Devon Sawa, Chris Parker, Jordana Brewster, Latham Gaines, Michaela Watkins, Gigi Zumbado

Release Date- February 7, 2025

Yes! Finally, another Valentine’s Day slasher. My Bloody Valentine and the 2009 remake are two films that successfully pulled off creating brutal and bloody horror films, with an ironic and sinister twist for a holiday that’s supposed to be about happiness and love.

I’m excited for Heart Eyes, because I’m a big fan of holiday themed horror, and there’s so much untapped potential for Valentine’s Day. I’m not completely sold on the mask. Obviously, the killer’s mask is supposed to be similar to the heart eyes emoji, but it just looks kind of weird.

A solid trailer, featuring signs of bloody gore and creative kills. Hopefully Heart Eyes finds unique methods to work Valentine’s Day into the story, including cards, roses, boxes of chocolates, and other gifts, similar to both My Bloody Valentine films. Maybe I’m getting too far ahead of myself, but I already have hopes for a sequel, because it wouldn’t hurt to have another slasher villain.