Let Him Go Movie Review

Let Him Go (2020)

Rent Let Him Go on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the novel
Written by: Thomas Bezucha (written for the screen by), Larry Watson(based on the novel by)
Directed by: Thomas Bezucha
Starring: Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Kayli Carter, Jeffrey Donovan
Rated: R
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Plot
A retired sheriff and his wife, grieving over the death of their son, set out to find their only grandson.

Verdict
It's got a long runway and can feel slow, but that establishes the characters and is what makes the last third so powerful. Initially there's a moral question of who's right and who is within the law but that nuance doesn't last long. I wish the 'bad guys' had more development, but once we get to that point this movie is intense.
Watch It.

Review
The first few scenes do a lot of storytelling without a lot of dialog. Margaret (Diane Lane) annoys her daughter-in-law Lorna by overstepping her role in taking care of the baby. That reveals a lot about the relationship right there. In the next scene we see a horse without a rider. The terror Margaret exhibits gives you everything you need to know about what will soon unfold.

Diane Lane and Kevin Costner play Margaret and George Blackledge.

Margaret and George (Kevin Costner) Blackledge try to chase down their grandson when Lorna and her new husband leave town unexpectedly. Margaret claims it's for the child's safety, and that's not untrue, but that kid is also their last link to their son. No one mentions it, but I don't think it's an accident that Margaret wore all black to Lorna's wedding to Donnie Weboy. George reluctantly agrees to chase down their grand-kid, knowing his wife won't back down and that the kid is in danger. This sets the lines of tension well.

The Blackledges endure and uneasy dinner at the Weboys.

This takes the long way around as Margaret and George don't know where Lorna is. They finally find someone related to Lorna's new husband and the Weboy clan. The Weboys are strange and scornful. Maybe it's because they have an idea the Blackledges don't plan to leave empty handed. This sets up an uneasy dinner where the Weboys insult them and vaguely reference a fight.

Over half way in, I was wondering when this would get to the jump. Where are we going? Lorna seems to be in a bad situation. I'd assume she wants out.
When the movie pivots, this gets wild. The Weboys are a crazy family, led by matriarch Blanche. The local cops are no help, and I wonder exactly why they side with the Weboys. Is it because the Blackledges are outsiders?  

Costner turns in his usual restrained performance, but Diane Lane is impressive as the tenacious Maragret. Lesley Manville menaces as Blanche, but she doesn't get to act enough, quickly becoming a cartoon villain. She's good, but I'm sure she has much more range.

I like the pacing of this a lot more once I got to the end. The slow beginning makes the the last act more exciting. It's easy to side with the Blackledges after the Weboys get violent, but the Blackledges were seemingly willing to take their grandson back no matter what the law dictates. The question is a matter of law versus morality, and I wish the movie pushed that further before making the Weboys the obvious villains. The Blackledges come across as a bit arrogant and the movie could have capitalized on that to play the audience against both sides. There's no subtlety from the Weboys and with what they do I quickly wanted the Blackledges to end them. That's fine, but the movie could have generated a bit of sympathy for the Weboys before revealing their malicious natures.