Released: 4th February
Seen: 29th August
Let Him Go follows elderly couple Margaret Blackledge (Diane Lane) and George Blackledge (Kevin Costner), proud parents to their son James (Ryan Bruce) who is married to a young woman named Lorna (Kayli Carter). James and Lorna have their own son, little Jimmy, and things seem to be going well for this little family until one day when James falls from his horse and breaks his neck.
Time passes and the young widow Lorna ends up remarrying Donnie Weboy (Will Brittain), who turns out to be somewhat abusive and takes Lorna and Jimmy with him back to his old home with his forceful mother Blanche (Lesley Manville). Margaret and George, worried for their grandson’s safety, decide to make the trip out to go see Lorna and Jimmy in hopes that maybe Lorna will let them take Jimmy home to live with them… sadly, turns out that getting on the wrong side of the Weboy family is not the best plan that one could come up with.
Let Him Go starts very slow, ponderously slow to the point where the first 45 minutes really trick you into thinking this is going to be a very calm and peaceful film, sure there’ll be some conflict and arguments but the film isn’t going to do anything crazy… and then Lesley Manville turns up and goes “SURPRISE MOTHERFUCKERS” and brings on so much glorious insanity that the film feels dead any time she’s not the focus of it. She brings a powerful life to the film that takes it from just being good to true greatness.
This isn’t to say that the entire cast of Let Him Go isn’t fantastic, our two leads are carrying this entire thing and really make you love them within seconds. They have this pure chemistry that sells the entire idea. Even Lorna, who is really only there for a few key scenes, is compelling as hell and just sells so much hidden trauma with a look. The idea that this character is being abused is only ever said once, but the way that Lorna looks and talks tells you that it’s been going on for so long. Even the entire litter of Weboy kids that are basically there to just be the muscle for the big hotel room scene are doing great but… yeah, no one’s holding a candle to Lesley, she’s the reason to see this Let Him Go.
It also helps that Let Him Go follows elderly couple Margaret Blackledge (Diane Lane) and George Blackledge (Kevin Costner), proud parents to their son James (Ryan Bruce) who is married to a young woman named Lorna (Kayli Carter). James and Lorna have their own son, little Jimmy, and things seem to be going well for this little family until one day when James falls from his horse and breaks his neck. is absolutely beautiful, a perfect blend of visual style and atmosphere. The entire plot only works if you truly believe that the Weboy family is off the grid and judging by the visuals, they’re so far away from civilisation I’m stunned that there are dirt roads that lead to their house. It’s so imposing, this vast expanse of nothing with only one house in the middle of it where just about anything can and will happen with no consequences… all that space means a lot of places to hide the bodies.
Once Let Him Go follows elderly couple Margaret Blackledge (Diane Lane) and George Blackledge (Kevin Costner), proud parents to their son James (Ryan Bruce) who is married to a young woman named Lorna (Kayli Carter). James and Lorna have their own son, little Jimmy, and things seem to be going well for this little family until one day when James falls from his horse and breaks his neck. really kicks into high gear, roughly around the 45 minute mark, it never slows down and the tension just slowly goes up… at least at first. There’s a scene in the hotel where things go from intense to jaw droppingly horrific and somehow, the film doesn’t drop far from the high of that scene. It’s a rollercoaster filled with some truly intense highs and it manages to make them all work, almost showing off just how good it is when everything gets going.
Let Him Go was a complete surprise, it plays its hand close to the chest but once it starts showing you what it has to offer it doesn’t let go. Filled with incredible performances (and one gigantic standout that I’ll undoubtedly be talking about in the best performances of the year post when that time comes) and some genuinely confronting moments, this is the kind of film that everyone should at least give a chance.
Movie Meister Reviews 