It looks like Longlegs better hide its best horror movie of 2024 title as Halle Berry’s new survival horror movie Never Let Go is making waves in the genre. In stellar first reactions, the film is being called horror movie of the year.
"It all grabs you by the throat -- the best horror film I have seen this year," writes Pete Hammond from Deadline, while Alistair Ryder from AwardsWatch echoes, "If you prefer your horror to get under your skin with its ideas rather than shake you with its unrelenting scares, then there is plenty here that will keep you unsettled."
Many critics have been celebrating Berry’s performance, in her first horror movie in over 20 years since Gothika. "Halle Berry gives a raw, heartfelt performance," says NYC Movie Guru’s Avi Offer. Christian Zilko from indieWire comments that the movie’s strong parental themes portrayed by Berry, "should resonate with both horror junkies seeking fall escapism and parents looking to see their struggles visualized."
However, not everyone seems to be a fan, which is reflected in the movie's 70% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The Daily Beast’s Nick Schager says Never Let Go "drags its way to an underwhelming finale." Similarly, The Wrap’s William Bibbiani says, "It only briefly grabs hold of something significant. Then it lets go."
But despite its flaws, reviewers give director Alexandre Aja his flowers. Meagan Navarro from Bloody Disgusting calls the movie a "vicious little bedtime story with sharp teeth in Aja’s hands, one that refreshingly doesn’t handhold," and Starburst’s Laura Potier concludes that Never Let Go is "perfect for spooky-season viewing."
As well as Berry, Never Let Go also stars Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins. The official synopsis from Lionsgate reads: "As an evil takes over the world beyond their front doorstep, the only protection for a mother and her twin sons is their house and their family’s protective bond. Needing to stay connected at all times – even tethering themselves with ropes – they cling to one another, urging each other to never let go. But when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, the ties that bind them together are severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival."
The movie is written by KC Coughlin and Ryan Grassby, and directed by Aja who is best known for his celebrated The Hills Have Eyes remake and the 2019 killer crocodile movie Crawl.
