Netflix Movie Let Him Go (My review)

Let Him Go

Kevin Costner is always at his best when he gets to play the grumpy old guy. Or the cowboy. Or the grumpy old cowboy. He's in full form in the new drama, Let Him Go. He plays the role of a retired sheriff. He and his wife, grieving the death of their son, set out to find their only grandson who has been taken away by his wife and her new husband. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane star as a married couple and not as Superman's parents.

That's a whole different film. As great as Costner is when he's in his element, and at that point I'm not even sure he's acting anymore, this is Lane's movie. She is the driving force through the majority of the narrative. She and Costner are funny together, and not in a comedic way, but just in their banter back and forth.

It rings true of a long married couple. They have found their stride and they talk straight to each other. Costner's character knows what he can say without getting into trouble, but he also knows when to stop talking and just do what his wife wants. And not to make her happy, but because he loves her. This takes place in the early 1960s around North Dakota, and the landscapes are absolutely stunning.

The settings and the scenery are all wonderful to look at, and I think it would probably be in my element to some degree. A lot of these people are wearing plaid or flannel, so, you know. This is very much a family drama, and sometimes it feels like one of the families might be the Corleones, or maybe that they only have one branch of the tree, and they also have a lot of banjos.

This has a peaceful feel to it. It's deliberately slow in pace, but it builds steadily. It's just shy of two hours, and there are a couple points where it does feel a little bit long. But I'm also glad that they didn't try and rush it, because this story needs some of that slowness to the telling.

I do like how the story develops, because there is this mounting tension, and it doesn't really let up. It is very slow in its building and as it grows, but it is constant.

And I can see how a lot of people may not like the slowness, because it's not action all the time. But there is this urgency that you begin to feel as Lane and Costner continue their journey. Once we get to the climax of the film, it's pretty exciting.

It's not that quick ending to it. It is probably 25 to 30 minutes of the last part of the film where this is building. And as it goes, you just know that something is about ready to explode.

The supporting cast in this is good, too. There is this menacing quality to a couple of them where you just don't want to cross them or find them in some dark alley. I liked Jeffrey Donovan and Leslie Manville, because they bring this craziness to the story.

The out-of-control type of crazy, but more like the Lector or the Bates type. Another standout is the very quiet Boo Boo Stewart, who plays Peter. He's a self-sufficient loner who is really kind, despite all the terrible crap that has happened to him.

Soundtrack in this is also wonderful. It's mainly piano, but it's not in your face. It's quiet and it fits the setting so well.
And while it sits there underneath most things, there are times where the notes are matching the intensity of what we're seeing on screen. And it just, It affects you at your soul. I'm pretty sure the target demographic for this is not the 25 and under crowd.

It's not to say that anybody in that age bracket won't enjoy it, but it really does feel like it is targeted and made for those that are 55 and older. But I really think that anybody that enjoys a well-crafted story can get a kick out of this. And if you're looking for something that is a bit Shakespearean, well, you got that too.

So even though it is quiet and it is slow, it builds. And the tension and the urgency that really do come over the runtime, It becomes just palpable. It is anxiety-inducing at times and it's very uncomfortable and even like squirming a little bit because you know what is coming or you at least feel that you know what is coming. And I like movies like that. I like them that I didn't really see it coming. Or even at the very get-go, there is this slight level of discomfort, but I have no idea why.

Just maybe because it just something seems off and it's not the characters, it's not the writing, because the writing's on point and the characters are great. It's the way that the story itself is delivering it to me, where it is just putting me off kilter just enough where I'm uncomfortable. But I'm going to keep watching because I need to find out why I'm uncomfortable. I'm giving it 9/10. I say, if you get the chance, check this one out.

Images gotten from IMDb