Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: 12/3/2024
Rating: R
Film Grade: C+
The Story: Mamma, and her two young, fraternal twins, Nolan and Samuel, live a purposefully isolated existence, deep in the woods. Their house is their sanctum, built for protection from the evil that surrounds it. Days are spent foraging and hunting, always attached to the foundation of the house with long ropes. That connection is vital, for if they ever let go and the evil touches them, they’ll be possessed.
But winter has been tough, crops aren’t growing in the greenhouse, animals are scarce. Tough choices will need to be made.
My Take: This psychological horror, survival story is a departure for Halle Berry, giving her an opportunity to play a different kind of character. Mamma is a tough woman, hardened by years of living off the land and taking desperate actions to survive. Her beliefs in the power of the house and the unrelenting evil they face are incredibly strong and unshakeable. She’s stern with the boys, passing on the rules along with survival knowledge; the information is vital if they’re to survive. Berry is excellent in the role, exchanging glamor for steadfast determinism.
Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins play preteen brothers, Nolan and Samuel, each with very different personalities. Samuel worships Mamma, blindly following her dictates, while Nolan starts asking questions. Why is Mamma the only person that can see the evil creatures? Do they really need the ropes to stay safe? Are there no other people out there?
All of this sets up in an interesting situation where the audience isn’t sure whether or not Mamma is suffering from a mental condition or if there really is something out there watching, taunting, and waiting for one of them to make the slightest mistake.
This works successfully for the first two-thirds of the movie as the family confronts worsening conditions and some tough decisions need to be made. These situations are handled in a harsh, but sensible way, as the audience tries to figure out what they would do and what might happen next. This part of the movie is handled really well, with unpredictable, but logical events.
But then we hit the final act. As with so many of these kinds of movies, it has a tough time nailing the ending. The way it’s handled doesn’t really fit with the first part of the movie, and while it wraps things up, it feels off.
One of the things the film does well, is play with questions of delusions versus reality, and different viewers may have different ideas of which wins out. My interpretation differed from director Alexandre Aja’s, so there’s room for discussion and contemplation for the audience. Rewatching it from his perspective gives the film a different meaning but also feels like a bit of a cheat. If you’re curious about what he has to say about it, you can read his
EW interview here but be aware that it’s filled with spoilers.
Visuals: The Blu-ray looks clear and intentionally gloomy, matching the overall mood of the film. Shot on location, they took advantage of the natural environment to great effect, with bright green moss, browns and tans of the forest tress, natural sunlight illuminates the woods with a sharp light, but not warm or inviting. The house’s dimly lit interior is filled with dark, natural wood tones and decorated with relics of a bygone era. The set decoration is elaborate and rich, with details extending to the preserved food and withering greenhouse plants. Much of the movie takes place in darkness but never becomes muddy or hard to pick out. It’s a well-shot movie and transfer.
Audio: The bass caught me off guard and I ended up having to dial back my bass boost for it, just to keep the rattles down. Kudos to Lionsgate for including the Atmos soundtrack on this disc. They seem to be doing this more often than not and deserve recognition for it. Here’s hoping that other studios follow in their tracks. The movie passes my bird test, with a hooting owl heard through the top speakers early on in the movie, along with others heard later. The wides are primarily used for the musical score, with an occasional sound effect. The additional speakers largely carry enveloping sounds, such as crickets, frogs, bugs, breeze, and rain. We do get some effective use of sound cues including voices, creaking, and thunder.
The musical score from Robin Coudert features a variety of instruments, including a whimsical but haunting flute, an organ, and some light synth work, are all used to good effect, blending feelings of gothic horror with unease and an occasional fairytale vibe. There are a few old-time tunes thrown in as well, played on an old Victrola.
Special Features: A middle-of-the-road collection of short making-of pieces. Worth watching if you want to learn more about the movie, but they don’t offer much insight.
- Making Never Let Go: Meet the talented team of filmmakers and learn more about the intricate creative process behind the film’s particular look and atmosphere.
- Creating Momma’s House: Take a step inside and learn how filmmakers were able to find and prepare Momma’s house in the middle of nowhere to make the film as authentic and scary as possible.
- Deleted Scenes
- Theatrical Trailer
Final Verdict: While this is rated R, it’s a very soft one, feeling more like PG-13 to me. I’m guessing that’s due to showing children in harmful situations, since any violence and gore is kept to minimal amounts.
There’s an original story here, that’s marred by a weak ending. There’s still a lot to recommend here, such as the acting and the narrative risks that it takes. The unusual setting and the decisions made keep it interesting and push it too above average. My wife is not a fan of horror, but she liked the characters and story enough to rate it a B-.
Recommended for those that love the genre or who want to see Berry in a different type of role.
Relevant quote: One touch without a rope on, is all it takes.
My Review System:JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
Oppo BDP-93
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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