Don’t Let Go Review – Mind Bending Psychological Thriller Delivers

Details

Category: Film

Published on Monday, 02 September 2019 21:11

Written by Janet Walker

Don’t Let Go, from Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures, brings to the screen a psychological drama, set in contemporary Los Angeles, as a detective receives the chance to stop the murder of his niece.

Directed by Jacob Estes Don’t Let Go stars David Oyelowo, Storm Reid, Mykelti Williamson, Shinelle Azoroh, Omar Leyva, Byron Mann, Bryon Tyree Henry and Alfred Molina.

The film begins with Ashley, played by Storm Reid, calling her Uncle Jack, Detective Jack Radcliffe, played by David Oyelowo, explaining that she needs a ride, that her dad, was supposed to pick her up but didn’t show up and she forgot her bus pass.

Before You Know It Review – Perfect, Authentic, Genuine, Captivating

Soon we see the two of them sitting at a local diner talking about the everyday life things that may trouble a tween girl, including what’s happening at home and why her dad forgot to pick her up. As we see in the first several minutes, Ashley and her Uncle Jack have a special bond, she craves the normalcy of his existence.

Sitting at his desk reviewing crime scene photos, he gets a call from her and he is pre-occupied, and it comes through the phone. Not long after he tries to call her, and the sound is muffled, and the signal is fading and then the line goes dead.

Sensing trouble, he heads over to his Ashley's  house and walking in the front door, a lamp is broken and turning the corner, blood. The first body he finds is his sister-in-law, Susan, played by Shinelle Azoroh, and then he finds his brother, played by Brian Tyree Henry,  executed. Of course, without knowing he knew what was next. He finds Ashley last, murdered in the bathroom.

The next scene is the funeral, and the mourners telling him, this moment as grave as it is will move on. He will move on.

Spider in the Web Review - Sir Ben Kingsley Add Intrigue to the Contemporary Espionage Drama

This is where Don’t Let Go move into the mind-bending psychological drama that makes this film more intriguing than the murder mystery it begins as. Of course, with a triple homicide and the first arriving detective a family member, internal affairs decided it’s time to have a chat with Detective Jack Radcliffe. After a few moments of questioning by Detective Roger Lee, played by Byron Mann, it’s no wonder that division has such a bad rap.

Suddenly Jack begins to receive phone calls from Ashley. She is talking, apparently alive. As the whole after death conversations thing is causing him to come unglued, he gets a call from her as he is reviewing the crime scenes from her murder. He makes his way over to the house and asks her what day it is, fining out to her she is two weeks in the past, that when he decides if she is alive, he can keep her that way.

The storyline, while suspended reality, is believable. The back story is obviously believable, as the murders weren’t senseless and without motivation, as we find out over the next two weeks as the formerly dead Ashley becomes Jack’s private detective and explains everything she sees.

Official Secrets Review - Engaging Edge of Your Seat Espionage Thriller

What we find out along the way is that Jack’s brother dealt coke, did time, got clean and ended up for five years or more, staying straight. For whatever reason, he went back to dealing and a shipment came in and someone else wanted it.

I didn’t expect to be so hooked on this film. I expected it to be intriguing, which it was, and knew it was a mind-bending drama, which it was, I just didn’t expect the level of suspense, which had me involved in the chase scenes and other moments.

Angel Has Fallen Review - A Solid Action Thriller

The drug dealing backstory with its twists and turns, and shocking developments all done in the present is a stand-alone story. Don’t Let Go is powerful and intriguing. A mystery with dramatic, chilling, chase scenes, and an ending that stuns. In theaters and VOD. See it.