X
- 2020
- R
- Focus Features
- 1 h 53 m
- 2020
- R
- Focus Features
- 1 h 53 m
Summary Following the loss of their son, retired sheriff George Blackledge (Kevin Costner) and his wife Margaret (Diane Lane) leave their Montana ranch to rescue their young grandson. When they discover that he is in the clutches of a dangerous family living off the grid in the Dakotas, George and Margaret must fight for the survival of their fa...
Directed By: Thomas Bezucha
Written By: Larry Watson, Thomas Bezucha
- 2020
- R
- Focus Features
- 1 h 53 m
- 2020
- R
- Focus Features
- 1 h 53 m
Let Him Go
63
6.1
Where to Watch
Summary Following the loss of their son, retired sheriff George Blackledge (Kevin Costner) and his wife Margaret (Diane Lane) leave their Montana ranch to rescue their young grandson. When they discover that he is in the clutches of a dangerous family living off the grid in the Dakotas, George and Margaret must fight for the survival of their fa...
Directed By: Thomas Bezucha
Written By: Larry Watson, Thomas Bezucha
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 36 Critic Reviews
63
75% Positive
27 Reviews
27 Reviews
19% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
6% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 36 Critic Reviews
63
75% Positive
27 Reviews
27 Reviews
19% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
6% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
With uncommon stealth, Let Him Go morphs from a drama about loss and grief into a terrifying thriller.
Lane and Costner are swell, but the film jolts to life the second we walk into Blanche’s dimly lit kitchen, occupied by even dimmer men. The villainous Manville acts like a rooster, clucking, crowing and, worst of all, pecking. A sickening scene in a motel won’t have you taking the kids to South Dakota anytime soon.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 63 User Ratings
6.1
51% Positive
32 Ratings
32 Ratings
38% Mixed
24 Ratings
24 Ratings
11% Negative
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 63 User Ratings
6.1
51% Positive
32 Ratings
32 Ratings
38% Mixed
24 Ratings
24 Ratings
11% Negative
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
This film seems a little slow and without too clear a direction at the start (at first I wondered what the story was and was curious what the film title alluded to but all becomes clear by the end) but it certainly packs a punch by the end. It's a dark (literally and thematically speaking) watch and ocassionally its gritty. Once the plot picks up pace, there's quite an effective sense of threat felt. The cast give decent performances and while perhaps the themes covered aren't entirely original, its a pretty memorable film I thought, so I'd say its worth a watch. The dark lighting may cause an issue for some if your watching it in a brightly lit area as I found myself struggling slightly to see what was going on in some scenes but thats perhaps a relatively small ****, as it were. I would recommend this film, yes.
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Let Him Go doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It is a genre thriller, where the good guys face impossible odds against cartoonish bad guys. But it plays out with style, violence that doesn’t strain credulity, and a consequence for every action taken.
Let Him Go is a tense genre piece that finds room to build out its characters, and their flaws, between bursts of action and suspense; it’s a tricky combination, but Bezucha manages the balance with real skill.
Great as our actual dads might be, they simply cannot compete with Costner. The guy perfectly hits all the right notes: honesty, dignity, quiet reserve, rugged Americana – all qualities we want in a hyperbolic father figure. Let Him Go exploits all this and reminds us of one other thing he’s good at: ass-kicking.
But Let Him Go isn’t really Costner’s movie. Instead, it belongs to Diane Lane as his wife.
The film’s gear change between mournfulness and madness is stuck in idle.
The pace is deadly slow, the style old-fashioned and the acting devoid of spontaneity. These are skilled actors, but the writing is so threadbare — an important character from the novel has been eliminated — and the direction (by Thomas Bezucha, working from his own adaptation) is so lacking in nuance that genuine dramatic energy gets lost by the wayside during the road trip to North Dakota.
This was a lot darker than I expected and there are great performances all around. Kevin Costner is usually the leading man, but his understated performance really compliments Diane Lane's lead. Shocking and heartbreaking, but thoroughly enjoyable.
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Beyond the stupid comparison that many will make by seeing Diane Lane and Kevin Costner together again, I think the most outstanding benefit of this film is that it really brought out that both can still be substantial elements as actors in any kind of story. It wasn't as compelling as I thought it would be, but I think it was ok enough.
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The YELLOWSTONE fans should get their kicks, the family drama and (kind of sudden) action bits are entertaining. Lags a bit in the middle but worth a recommendation if you think it’s up your alley
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This film is billed as a thriller but the thrills were left out of my copy. A better fit would be to describe it as a special edition of a 1980's TV soap. The story is simple, grandparents want to take their grandchild and kill the people who have custody of him. Not really any twists or turns, in fact not much of anything including interest.
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This might’ve been acceptable but from the first few minutes you know it’s Scary. It’s interesting initially when it’s just the two leading characters. Then it’s not. Why don’t they call the FBI? Why don’t they call Child Protective Services or an outside police department? It’s predictable and after that it’s disgusting.
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Production Company
The Mazur Kaplan Company
Release Date Nov 6, 2020
Duration 1 h 53 m
Rating R
Tagline Fight For Family
Awards
Almeria Western Film Festival
• 2 Wins & 3 Nominations
Canadian Society of Cinematographers Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Hawaii Film Critics Society
• 1 Nomination
