Plot: A retired sheriff and his wife who are grieving over the death of their son set out to find their only grandson.
Review: Another solid entry into the sub-genre of film known as Southern Gothic, Let Him Go tells a story that we’ve seen before —someone loses a loved one and sets out to bring them home safely — in various incarnations. But what makes this one stand taller than the rest is the stellar directing by Thomas Bezucha (The Big Eden, The Family Stone) and the wonderful performances by everyone involved, particularly those of Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, aka Jonathan and Martha Kent.
All kidding aside, both actors deliver restrained yet emotionally impactful performances. Lane’s Margaret is a woman that covers her grief with tenacity, dry humour and wit, while Costner’s George is perfect as her quiet (albeit just as smart), steadfastly loyal, and loving husband. Another performance that catches your attention is that of Lesley Manville as Blanche Weboy, the cold-as-ice matriarch of her family of four “boys”. She’s everything you love to hate in such a character, with her onscreen presence notching up the tension everytime she spoke.
All of the actors were good in their roles, whether large or small, which is so important to these types of slow-build, tension-filled dramas. That said, the story itself isn’t really anything new and was a tad predictable in its outcome. If there is anything under the surface of this drama/thriller, it’s the dangers of not facing your grief. Loss of a loved one can be near impossible to get through, but when we don’t deal with our pain, we risk damaging the relationships and lives of the ones we still have with us, hence the title of the movie. Or maybe i’m just overthinking things. You know me, I love looking for those deeper meanings.
While this movie was most definitely made with the over-50 crowd in mind, don’t let that put you off of watching Let Him Go. If films like Hell or High Water, No Country for Old Men or even most recently, The Devil All the Time, were movies you’ve enjoyed, I think this deftly directed, well-acted, tension-filled film, is definitely worth your time.
Sommer’s Score: 7 out of 10
You can check out my video review of Let Him Go here:
For Alice’s review of The Devil All the Time you can click here. Or if you’d like more Costner you can check out my Top 5 Reasons you Need to Be Watching Yellowstone Now here.
Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever and I’ll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes.
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