Halle Berry’s ‘anxiety-inducing’ new horror film leaves critics ‘chilled’ ahead of cinema release
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Halle Berry’s ’chilling’ horror film has left critics ‘filled with dread’ as they praise the apocalyptic thriller ahead of its UK release.
The Catwoman actor, 58, takes the lead role in Alexandre Aje’s Never Let Go, which is released on September 27.
The survival thriller follows a mother (Berry) and her twin sons Nolan (Percy Daggs IV) and Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins) as they live in a remote cabin in the woods following an unspecified apocalypse.
They follow a series of rules to ensure their survival, the main one being that they must stay tied to a rope connected to their cabin when foraging for food or exploring the outdoors, and if they don’t, they will be infected by an evil entity.
However, Nolan begins to question whether these spirits are real as only his mother seems to have seen them.
Following early screenings, including a showing at this year’s Fantastic Fest, critics have praised the film for its tense sequences and Berry’s performance.
Never Let Go has chilled viewers ahead of its release (Picture: Lionsgate)
Catwoman star Halle Berry appears as a mother plagued by spirits (Picture: Lionsgate)
Screen Rant said the film is a ‘psychological thriller that keeps you guessing’ and ‘anxiety-inducing’, while Midwest Film Journal said it boasted ‘terrific performances.’
Bloody Disgusting wrote: ‘While it is lean in plotting, Never Let Go becomes a vicious little bedtime story with sharp teeth in Aja’s hands, one that refreshingly doesn’t handhold.’
Variety added: ‘Its thematic ruminations on grief, sanity, rebellion and redemption are intrinsically intertwined to harrowing, claustrophobic effect, heightening the hallucinatory horrors and dread-soaked atmospheric pull.’
Not every critic was won over, however, with RogerEbert.com reporting: ‘A hodgepodge of mental illness, trauma, overprotection, the existence of evil, and what feels like Covid allegories, Never Let Go fails by virtue of its competing ideas. It leaves too little to hold on to.’
Critics have dubbed the film ‘chilling’ (Picture: Lionsgate)
Verry has shared how much she loved the ‘dark’ and ‘deep’ film (Picture: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
TheWrap said: ‘It may freak you out a little bit, and that may be enough for some people, but it only briefly grabs hold of something significant. Then it lets go.’
Hollywood icon Berry previously opened up on shooting the film, admitting she loved getting down and dirty for the gritty horror film, even not showering while on set.
‘I love the darker, the deeper… when you can show up to a movie set, and no matter what you look like, it’ll work for the day… Our teeth were all yellowed, our hair was all messed up,’ she told Movie Web.
‘Like, I didn’t take a shower half the time because it just helped me feel, you know, it just felt dirty. And so it was good. And I love to sit in characters like that, where, no matter what happens, use it for the character, and it’s all good.’
Never Let Go is released in UK cinemas on September 27.
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