Let Him Go movie review from Movie Review Mom

MOVIE TITLE: Let Him Go

In theaters now

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour, 53 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B+

IN A NUTSHELL:

When I first saw the movie poster, I assumed the movie was going to be about Superman, since Diane Lane and Kevin Costner were Clark Kent’s earthly parents in the 2013 Man of Steel (2013)! Ha ha This dramatic thriller was directed by Thomas Bezucha, as well as written with the help of Larry Watson who wrote the original Let Him Go: A Novel. The movie was going to be released in August but postponed until November due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It’s about two parents who grieve the loss of their son as they set out to rescue their only grandson after their daughter-in-law remarries into a dangerous family.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

No parent wants to outlive their child. The beginning of the film is a gut-punch to every parent.
Violence
Because of its slow pace and lots of adults “talking”, kids will be bored.

THEMES:

Family
Sacrifice
Love
Parenting
Grief
Loss
Marriage
Power and control
Revenge

THINGS I LIKED:

Fantastic performances by Diane Lane and Kevin Costner. They have great chemistry together. I love how their glances speak volumes. Every time she’s in a movie, I have to proudly announce that I got to meet her in person once and have a lovely conversation with her at an international conference where she was speaking. I’m such a fan. There is already Oscar buzz around her performance in this role.

It’s significant that Kevin Costner’s character is a retired sheriff. His trained eye sees what’s happening but Diane Lane’s actions are completely driven and blinded by love and protecting her family. The mama-bear feelings sure came out in me and I wanted to kick the entire Weboy family’s butt. My oldest son is going to make me a first-time grandmother next month and already I’m feeling very protective of that little one!
Leslie Manville is deliciously evil.
The movie starts off fairly slowly but then picks up speed and tension.
While the movie is set in Montana and North Dakota, it was actually filmed in Alberta, Canada.
Writers and filmmakers are constantly advised to “show not tell.” The first 30 minutes or so of this movie do exactly that and extremely well, I might add! The film is a fascinating example of what isn’t said more than what is.
The dinner scene is a stand-out with tasty tension and super awkward awesomeness.
I love Jeffrey Donovan in everything. My husband and I got hooked on Burn Notice 1-7 Complete Series – Seasons 1,2,3,4,5,6 & 7 and binge-watched every episode. Have you seen him in the recent Liam Neeson movie Honest Thief [Blu-ray]? He plays a semi-villain in that movie too and is really good.
I liked that the title had 2 different meanings and so I wasn’t sure in which direction the movie was going to go.
Some beautiful vistas and cinematography.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

- The color palette is very dark and faded, which is going to make it difficult to watch on small streaming devices.
- Some viewers are complaining about the length of the movie and how much of a slow burn this movie is, wishing something more “thrilling” happened.
- I was hoping something specific was going to happen to one of the characters that I worked up in my mind, which I thought would have added an interesting element to the ending, but it didn’t.

INTERESTING LINES:

“Well, we’re not old.” – Margaret Blackledge (Diane Lane) “We’re not young.” – George Blackledge (Kevin Costner
“There’s nothing smaller than a boy’s casket.” – Sheriff Nevelson (Bradley Stryker)
“You said you’d let me finish.” – Margaret (Diane Lane ) “You’re finished. You just don’t know it.” – George (Kevin Costner)

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