Let Him Go

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.

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

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.

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 .

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.