WHAT IS EVEN REAL? - NEVER LET GO Review

Never Let Go is a 2024 American survival horror thriller film directed by Alexandre Aja and written by Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby. The film stars Halle Berry, Percy Daggs IV, Anthony B. Jenkins, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Christin Park, and Stephanie Lavigne.
Never Let Go premiered at the Regal Times Square in New York City on September 16, 2024, and was released in the United States by Lionsgate on September 20, 2024. The film received mixed reviews from critics.
Cast
Halle Berry as Momma
Percy Daggs IV as Nolan
Anthony B. Jenkins as Samuel
Matthew Kevin Anderson as The Stranger
Christin Park as Paramedic
Stephanie Lavigne as The Evil
Production
In August 2020, Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby's horror script Mother Land was acquired by Shawn Levy's company 21 Laps Entertainment with Lionsgate Films set to distribute. In April 2021, Mark Romanek was hired to direct the film. The following month, it was announced that Romanek left the project and Alexandre Aja was set to direct with Halle Berry joining the cast. In June 2022, Lionsgate sold the international rights to multiple companies during the Cannes Film Festival. In April 2023, Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins joined the cast of the film, which had been retitled Never Let Go. In May 2024, it was revealed that Matthew Kevin Anderson, Christin Park, and Stephanie Lavigne were added to the cast. Principal photography took place in Vancouver, British Columbia from April 17 to June 2, 2023. Robin "Rob" Coudert composed the film's score.
Release
The world premiere of Never Let Go was held at the Regal Times Square theater in New York City on September 16, 2024. It was shown as a gala screening on the opening night of Fantastic Fest on September 19, 2024, and was released theatrically in the United States on September 20. It was originally set for September 27, taking over the original release date for Saw XI.
Reception
Box office
In the United States and Canada, Never Let Go was released alongside The Substance and Transformers One, and is projected to gross $4-7 million from 2,667 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $1.6 million on its first day, including $360,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $4.5 million, finishing in fourth.
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 63% of 59 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.10/10. The website's consensus reads: "Director Alexandre Aja's latest horror offering boasts anxiety-inducing atmosphere and a committed performance from Halle Berry, although audiences will have to let go of some storytelling expectations to enjoy the ride." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 55 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by PostTrak gave it a 67% overall positive score.