User reviews

After a family tragedy for the Blackledge family, grandparents George (Kevin Costner) and Margaret (Diane Lane) are left to bring up baby Jimmy (Bram and Otto Hornung) with mother/daughter-in-law Lorna (Kayli Carter). But a few years later, Lorna marries bad-un Donnie Weboy (Will Brittain) and disappears back to Donnie's hillbilly extended family in the wilds of North Dakota, led by the fearsome Blanche Weboy (Lesley Manville). Fearing for the child's wellbeing, Margaret drags retired Sheriff George on a dangerous journey to rescue the child.

There are strong similarities in this story with a sub-plot of the excellent "Ozark", where the psychopathic Darlene Snell (Lisa Emery) is intent on having a child to grow up with on her remote ranch. The sense of tension there is recreated here, exacerbated by the movie's extremely slow (read "glacial") pace in its early stages. It's the same sort of rising dread that I felt with "Nocturnal Animals". This reaches its peak at a tense standoff over lamb chops at the Weboy ranch, but we are probably half-way into the film by then.

The slow pace however is broken by a couple of extremely violent scenes that earn the movie its UK-15 certificate. One (no spoilers here!) harks back to another Kevin Costner blockbuster where he was a bit luckier! And the finale turns a slightly sleepy tale of "two old folks" into an 'all guns blazing' action western that's highly unexpected. Although you could argue that this is tonally extremely uneven, it works and makes the movie a lot more memorable than it otherwise would be.

The standout leading performance here is the one from Diane Lane as the mentally tortured Granny pursuing her convictions across the country. Here writer/director Thomas Bezucha gives the character full rein. It's a memorable 'strong female' part, that would have been dominated by the male lead in the writing of films a few years back. Lane delivers a dramatic and rock-solid performance that has Oscar nomination written all over it.

I'm also a big fan of Kevin Costner, not just because he's a solid and reliable actor over many years. I always remember him gamely appearing as "The Postman"/'propeller-guy' in Billy Crystal's hilarious montage opening for the 70th Academy Awards. Anyhow, here he has his meatiest dramatic role in many years, and delivers fully on it. Top job, although I suspect this may not be his year for his elusive Best Actor award.

Finally, rounding out the Oscar hopefuls is the brilliant Lesley Manville as Blanche Weboy. It's a dream of a role for the Brighton-born star, nominated of course for the Best Supporting Actress two years ago for "Phantom Thread". And she is genuinely chilling here, firing on all cylinders like some sort of deranged Bette Davis on speed. She's used sparingly in the movie, but that makes her scenes all the more memorable. Another nomination perhaps? I'd predict so, yes.

I found this to be an uncomfortable watch, since I found myself in a moral quandary with the storyline. It's clear that Margaret is genuinely concerned for the safety of Jimmy (and less so, Lorna). Yet, what she is ultimately prepared to do is consider child abduction, when the law if probably on the side of the other party. Sure, the lifestyle and attitudes of the Weboys are alien to this more traditional "Granny". But although Blanche rules with a Victorian-level of grit, isn't she - at least before any of her more vicious tendencies emerge - entitled to do that? The film firmly roots itself behind the Blackledge's as "the good guys", but the script cleverly has you questioning that at various points,

Two technical categories in "Let Him Go" are also worthy of note. The cinematography is by Guy Godfree, and the sweeping vistas of Montana and North Dakota (actually Alberta in Canada!) are gloriously delivered. And the music by Michael Giacchino - one of my favourite composers - is cello-heavy and fitting for the sombre storyline. I always assess the quality of a score by whether I annoy the cinema cleaners by sitting until the last of the end credits have rolled, and this is one I did that to.

As the last movie I see before Christmas, "Let Him Go" is not exactly a feelgood festive offering. It's a well-crafted and thoughtful story, but not one to make you feel good inside, for the reasons outlined above. If you are a movie-lover though, then it's an interesting watch, if only for the fine acting performances on offer.

(For the full graphical review, please check out "Bob the Movie Man" on the web. Thanks.)

This was like watching Father Knows Best (salty version) meets MA Barker and her boys! It was a good story that moved along well with the beautiful backdrop of the mountains of the west. There was pathos and you connected with the characters. I like watching a movie geared towards 50+ year olds! Make more.

Like many I'm a BIG Costner fan. This one could easily have been a rugged but amiable Western drama, but, like the moth flying close to the flame it gets tinged by inflexions of horror - a disquieting experience for the unwary. The plot has at its center the 'kidnap by marriage' of aged Margaret and George's grandson, goaded on by another interestingly psychotic family of near in-laws, resembling to no small degree the Snell Family of Netflix's 'Ozark', though this time featuring North Dakota as that bastion of redneck eccentricity. On the good side, it's a terrifyingly real situation, acted out charmingly by Kevin Costner with his trademark reserve. But the movie was a little long, with those now clichéd tropes, the sort that better directors do well to avoid.

I didn't expect the story to be so dark and disturbing. It is probably too dark for me to enjoy, but it is still engaging.

Back in the 80's and 90's Kevin Costner was one of the biggest movie stars on the planet . He starred in some brilliant ( if not long ) movies but for some reason started to get a negative reputation and I'm not quite sure why . Perhaps Waterworld is to blame ? . Watching Let Him Ho you can see the man is still a very good actor but in this , he is outshone by two women.

Costner plays a retired sheriff and Diane Lane plays his wife, who ate grieving over the death of their son, they then set out to find their only grandson.

The biggest compliment I can give this film is that it reminds me a lot of Straw Dogs .

The couple have the almost impossible task of dealing with the hillbilly Weboy family who is lead by Blanche who is played brilliantly by Lesley Manville . In fact so brilliantly, she steals the show from Lane and Costner.

I enjoyed this much more than I expect.

For the most part it's a slow burner but there are plenty of tense action scenes in it to not make it dull.

Not bad at all .

This new Western blends elements of noir, drama, and suspense to create a generally searing character study. Set in the 1960s, it tells the story of a retired sheriff (Kevin Costner) and his wife (Diane Lane.) Their young grandson has been spending time with his stepfather, whom they view as suspicious and is married to their son's widow. The leading couple leaves from Montana to the Dakotas to visit their step-family and try to get their grandson back, but things go south very quickly. The performances are generally powerful all around. Costner and Lane give clear emotional depth as well as a real sense of genuineness and urgency while in character. They feel haunted with grief from the death of their son, yet also proactively driven by a strong desire to ensure their grandson is properly treated. The film's cinematography of the Great Plains is gorgeous (although it was actually filmed in Alberta, Canada,) and the score is also quietly powerful.

In the second half of the film, the dramatic tension is gradually increased both through the slow-burn tone as well as the dialogue. The film's gritty and slow-burn style may remind viewers of thrillers written and/or directed by Taylor Sheridan. Without going into any detail, suffice it to say that characters' instincts may be brought to a boiling point. However, the sudden and occasionally uneven increases in dramatic tension as well as violence do not always feel conducive to the film's tone. As a result, the film doesn't quite comment as starkly on its characters' behaviors or the nature of violence as thoughtfully as it intends to. The motivations of the characters are also rather predictable, and outside of Costner and Lane's characters, I did not find the rest of them to be especially engaging. Even though the characters are well-developed, the roles they play in creating some of the story's suspense are not inherently unique. That said, this is still a well-acted and well-shot thriller that should please patient viewers that know what they're in for. 7/10

Great casting, cinematography, sets and location, but novice writer and director Thomas Bezucha made this one a very unnecessarily slow burner. The 113 runtime was way too long for this story, and felt twice as long with the slow pacing, long dragged out scenes and unnecessary still shots. If you watched this at 1.2x speed, it'd be bearable. The screenplay needed a good 20-30 mins edited/cut out. The sound/score could've also been better. Not sure if it was Costner's character, or he was bored during filming, because this wasn't one of his finest performances - by a long shot. Never mind all the bogus 9's and 10's, this is an honest and very generous 6/10 from me.

This story is dark in many ways, but at the heart of it are two grieving grandparents (badass grandparents though) who want to save their toddler grandson from terrible criminals. Complex and thoughtful, it's the perfect mix of drama and suspense. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane are amazing. This is a finely drawn drama with high stakes tension.

Yes, it's got a gruff, blue jeaned Kevin Costner in the Montana, North Dakota area, but this is a far cry from the fantastic Yellowstone. (But that no doubt helped Costner pick up a pay check for this). More of a boring, downer of a movie. The Weboy family is almost (unintentionally) funny, as bad guy - and esp gal - caricatures.

There was a point about a quarter of the way through 'Let Him Go' where I was questioning the protagonist's motives and whether they were entitled to be doing what they appeared to be trying to do. As if the film recognised this may be an issue with audiences, they then do an excellent job from that point onwards of justifying their actions. The characters created in this film on both sides of the ledger are excellent. The heroes are people we can genuinely root for and care about their fate, and the villains are truly horrendous people who we want to meet the worst fate.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Diane Lane and Kevin Costner in this film. It was quite a unique relationship they had, one that isn't often seen in film, yet it felt much more realistic than what we usually get - and that's why I think it worked. I know elder couples who are exactly like these two were. I have to say the whole cast were great, but I also have to give special mention to Jeffrey Donovan. He's so good, especially in these types of roles. He has the perfect balance between being pure evil and being a potentially genuinely nice guy who could trick you into falling for his charms.

'Let Him Go' deals with an awful situation that I imagine happens more often than we realise. It obviously ramps it up another level to make it more theatrical, but at the heart of the story remains a genuinely heart-breaking situation. This film works as both a drama and an action/thriller equally. Both genres are handled extremely well. I had a great time with this movie and would highly recommend people check it out.

IN BRIEF: A Western drama that gets lost in the dust.

JIM'S REVIEW: (MILDLY RECOMMENDED)

Let Him Go is a Western drama about an elderly couple who decide to rescue their grandson from an abusive environment. Set in rural America during the 60's, George and Martha Blackledge are a decent and loving couple and they are living their lives with grace and dignity. He is a retired sheriff and she is a mighty good housewife and baker par none. But ranch life has its share of hardships and tragedy befalls them. A freak accident kills their son and his wife and child grow up under their roof until their daughter-in-law takes another husband who physically abuses them. One night, they secretly move away which sends the Blackledges on their rescue mission. This leads them to a crazy family called the Weboys who give the term "deplorables" a bad name.

The film starts off with an intriguing premise and director/writer Thomas Bezucha creates a tense and engaging drama in the first half of his movie. As a director, he uses his visual eye to intermix images of the country vistas and slowly builds the relationship between the leads most astutely. That he has Kevin Costner and Diane Lane centerstage is his wisest decision. Their performances are totally convincing and their chemistry is in sync. One hopes that this story will build on their dilemma and become a courtroom battle over custody of Little Jimmy. Alas, that is not the case.

Instead, as the screenwriter, Mr. Bezucha makes a terribly wrong detour into a bloody revenge thriller genre and the film lets go of any logic. It's a "them against us" mentality and the movie quickly loses its focus. Leaps of Logic appear outta nowhere. The dinner confrontation scene between the two families with straight-laced British actress Leslie Mann playing a deranged matriarch, Blanche Weboy, remains powerful, even though her menacing brood of good ole boys are so one-note evil, without any character development, that they become walking clichés of wickedness. From that point, the plot becomes more far-fetched and brutal to watch. Of course, the dastardly sheriff sides with the locals and has the obligatory "git outta town " scene, so is it any wonder that it's The Hatefuls versus The Blackledges as George and Margaret are forced to take matters into their own hands!

It's a shame because the actors deserve better material. Mr. Costner brings his measured and stoic persona to his role and Ms. Lane radiates confidence and determination. They are very good. Ms. Manville is also fun to watch in a part that is far away from her stiff upper crust roles and she munches on the scenery with relish. One begins to question if Leatherface is not a distant cousin.

After a promising start, Let Him Go lets go of all reason and falls flat on its face on its journey to Crazytown. (GRADE: C+)

Both Costner and Lane are among our favorites, it is hard to find either of them in a bad or even lackluster role. Here they are a long time couple, he is a retired law enforcement professional. Set in the early 1960s, they live on a small horse ranch in Montana, they have a married adult son and a small grandson. In an unfortunate riding accident their son dies, the D. I. L. Remarries a couple of years later. Then the newlyweds leave town suddenly and without saying goodbye.

Turns out the new husband is abusive and is part of an evil bunch in North Dakota. The grandparents want to protect their grandson, they know he is not safe, they go to find him. The evil family does not cooperate. The first half is kinda slow as things build, the second half has more action than the grandparents planned for.

Interesting story, the movie is very well made. My wife and I watched it on DVD from our public library.

Let's be crystal clear. Costner and Lane are so professional and interesting by themselves you could watch them build a garage and still be entertained. But movies have to more than the sum of their parts. Here Thomas Bezucha has written an abomination of a script where the real "mystery" -- why the girl married poorly in the first place -- takes place outside the narrative and off-camera almost before the opening titles. In these kinds of melodramas, there are usually story beats developed early on so, that when the climax comes, the audience is tuned in and feels satisfied. Bezucha doesn't care about his audience at all. He tells the story, it seems, to suit only himself. Just like the main villain that he created.

This is a tense and exciting flick, but the basis on which the film starts off reveals the grandmother is extremely stupid. Watch the film but you'll soon spot a long journey and a wholeload of trouble could have been saved if the grandmother had spoken up in the first place.

Kevin Costner doesn't stray far from his John Dutton character in 'Yellowstone'. He lives in Montana, they own horses (or did), mannerisms are the same, along with his wise old man quips, and he's got that violent tenacity that gets unleased in order to protect what is his, mainly family.

Diane Lane's character could easily be a Dutton herself. She's relentless and doesn't know when to say no, even when she probably should. Lane is outstanding in her role.

This movie is dark, no doubt about it. It's tough to watch at times, especially when you know all the conflict revolves around a three year old boy. The antagonist family is evil. The sad thing is, there are families like this everywhere, not all to this extent, but there's a lot of evil out there, and sometimes the good guys can't back down and it may require playing dirty. That's real life.

Slow moving,but all movies sre different..learnef to see the unsaid love betw two people. The heartache they experienced along their journey together...The acting of course powerful betw 2 main characters.movie gets very intense as .the outcome of the story progresses.

A Throw-Back to the Now Virtually Extinct, Except in Low-Budget Experiments of New-Bee Film-Makers.

It's a Deeply Emotional Exchange Between Art and its Audience.

Calm Desperately Demanding a Showcase in the Depressing, Devastating, Tragic Drama of Life's Tragedy with Evil Lurking Everywhere.

Calm is Personified by Kevin Costner's Wisdom from 30 Years a Lawman and the Aging Super-Star has Recaptured a Once Compelling, Lost, and Regained Maturity.

He is a Perfect Calming Partner to Diane Lane's Internal Rage from the Despair of Loss and Outrage of a Loved Little-One being Snatched and in Danger.

The Film Builds Tension by Way of Conversations Between the Salt of the Earth Couple with Costner's Dad and Lane's Mom about Wishing and Reality.

The Total Film Experience Reminds of Sam Peckinpah's "Straw Dogs" (1972) the way it Slaps You Awake in the Third-Act After Lulling Laments that Preceded.

A Beautifully Mounted Think-Piece that Snaps Serenity when Leslie Manaville Hosts a Dinner in Hell with Satan Sitting Firmly on Her Shoulder.

A Satisfying and Cathartic Suspenser Staged with Cinematic Seriousness that the Story Demands.

No Cop-Outs, its a Pay-the-Price Lesson that the Retired Cop Costner Knew All-Along that Someone would be Sacrificed for Their Action Against Evil.

He was Motivated by the Hope that it would be Him and Not His Beloved Wife to be Sacrificed on the Altar for the Sake of the Innocent.

Slow burning but enjoyable movie Tense at times A good watch.

The film has a great cast of actors with good performances. But the story itself felt like a film that I would have expected in the late 1970s or early 80s. Domestic violence: Battered female & child abuse were very common topics in the 1970 and 80s. But we don't get a good sense of why the Weboys are the way they are, especially the matriarch of the Weboy clan.

Also felt there wasn't a good bond with Kayli Carter character. So I didn't really care for her character. She just wasn't convincing playing the battered wife. I didn't like how the story ends for George Blackledge

The last issue I had was the pacing of the film was slower than what I would have expected too. It felt like I wanted the movie to move along at a faster pace than it was going. I think the Indian boy story was filler material to stretch out the story because nothing much results from that relationship.

I still can't give a Kevin Costner film less than a 6 because he and his co-star, Diane Lane work very well together. I just don't think this film will be memorable. Probably should end up on the Lifetime or Oxygen network

Let Him Go is a western-gothic crime thriller with a North Western setting and some resemblance to vintage oaters like The Searchers. The search has elemental film roots with mental and physical violence enhanced by Leslie Manville as a bad grandma and her wicked sons.

It's fun to see the bad guys get roughed up. It's also satisfying to see the searching-for-family motif of contemporary super-hero films played out in the Western plains even if it was filmed in Calgary. The craggy mountains and little towns complement the late fifties setting when love and crime occur in simple but stark ways.

Retired Montana Sheriff George (Kevin Costner) and his wife, Margaret (Diane Lane), search for their grandson, Jimmy (Bram Hornung and Otto Hornung) after the death of their son, James (Ryan Bruce). Former daughter in law Lorna (Kavli Carter) has left abruptly with new husband, Donny Weboy (Will Britain), and grandson, relocating under duress to North Dakota and his family- Weboy territory where matriarch Blanche (Manville) wields absolute power. Very bad move. The chase begins.

Lane and Costner are in top-aging form, tough and tenderhearted enough to fight the Weboy clan for the grandson. This is a different, more nuanced role for them when they were Superman's parents. Let Him Go adds an authenticity to the thriller formula by emphasizing the devotion of the loving couple to each other and their quest to keep the family whole, or at least provide a fitting family life for their grandson.

The usual Western tropes apply like the corrupt sheriff, bad grandma and sons, the kind stranger, the tough mother, and the epic ending battle. What goes beyond the formula is the sincere love propelling the plot and corralling our hearts. And, of course, the fully-seasoned Lane and Costner.

Let Him Go is much more than the genre it represents.