An old habit diminished in modern moviegoing is going out to the cinema to see movies for the sake of simply seeing a good movie. Let Him Go is a western thriller both set in the 1950s and evoking the excitement of seeing a movie then. It’s a meticulous drama with high stakes, great characters and a demand its audience pays attention.
Like the title implies, once the tension starts the film doesn’t let the viewer go. I can’t remember the last time I sat in a theatre and enjoyed the spine-tingling sensation of being worried for the two main characters. Writer/Director Thomas Bezucha has controlled the action so effectively I was equally excited as I was nervous on what would happen next.
Based on Larry Watson’s novel, Margaret (Diane Lane) and George Blackledge (Kevin Costner) have lost their son when he dies in an accident in 1950 Montana. Soon after, their son’s widow and their toddler grandson are taken away after their ex-daughter-in-law Lorna remarries.
As Margaret sees Lorna and her grandson abused and then abruptly moved away by her second husband, Margaret and George follow them to North Dakota in hopes of bringing them home safely.
Lane and Costner are masterful performers who are working with the same empathy and attention to detail as they have their whole careers. There’s nothing hammy about their western personas or how they play into the genre: every choice Margaret and George make are wholly believable.
Diane Lane’s Margaret is a great anchor, but fellow matriarch Lesley Manville as Blanche is exciting in her underused part. Another underused character with a strong part is Booboo Stewart as Peter - he has some of the best lines in just three scenes.
The film’s title is ingenious; it reflects not one but four unique mother-son relationships. Let Him Go is nuanced and offers a rollercoaster of pacing and heartfelt performance that makes it easy to be invested. When the cast makes you believe these characters care, the audience cares too.
I attended the film with a guest in my social bubble and neither of us take “scary” well. Let Him Go found an excellence balance of suspense to keep us engaged while also having us be worried if Margaret and George would be okay.
Pace does move slowly through stretches and it might’ve been served well by a slightly shorter run time. But the afternoon screening I attended had the buzz of a satisfied audience with eyes locked on the screen. That’s a satisfaction rare among audiences these days.
The movies now coming out in cinemas are the kinds of movies that audiences chose when a weekly visit to the multiplex was a habitual thing. That habitual thing is how discoveries like this film get made and its well worth your time for a safe, white-knuckle night of entertainment.
Let Him Go
8 out of 10
14A, 1hr 54mins. Western Thriller.
Written and Directed by Thomas Bezucha.
Starring Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Lesley Manville, Kayli Carter and Will Brittain.
Now playing at Film.Ca Cinemas and Cineplex Winston Churchill.
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