Let Him Go

Let Him Go

Following the loss of their son, a retired sheriff and his wife leave their Montana ranch to rescue their young grandson from the clutches of a dangerous family living off the grid in the Dakotas.

  • Released: 2020-11-05
  • Runtime: 114 minutes
  • Genre: Crime, Drama, Thrillers
  • Stars: Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Kayli Carter, Lesley Manville, Will Brittain, Jeffrey Donovan, Booboo Stewart, Ryan Bruce, Otto Hornung, Bram Hornung, Connor Mackay, Adam Stafford, Greg Lawson, Bradley Stryker, William Hochman, John Treleaven, Heather Lea MacCallum, Ryan Northcott, Ravonna Dow, Kira Bradley, Aidan Moreno, Judith Buchan, Marilyn Potts, Vanessa Holmes, Tayden Marks, Bryn Roy, Finn Lee-Epp, Caillou Pettis, Will Hochman
  • Director: Thomas Bezucha
 Comments
  • jboothmillard - 19 May 2024
    Let Him Go
    The lead stars acted together as Clark Kent's adoptive parents in Man of Steel, they were brought together again for this film which I had only heard about when it was on television, a good rating by critics made it appealing as well, written and directed by Thomas Bezucha (The Family Stone). Basically, in Montana, in 1961, retired sheriff George Blackledge (Kevin Costner, also producing) lives on a ranch with his wife Margaret (Diane Lane), their son James (Ryan Bruce), James's wife Lorna (Kayli Carter) and infant son Jimmy (twins Otto and Bram Hornung). One afternoon, James goes horse riding, but Margaret later sees his horse wandering on its own. George goes out to the woods and finds James dead by the creek; he had fallen off his horse and broken his neck. Two years later, Lorna marries her new boyfriend, Donnie Weboy (Will Brittain); it is obvious Lorna has only married Donnie to support Jimmy and not for love. One afternoon while out shopping, Margaret sees Lorna, Donnie and Jimmy getting ice cream. She witnesses Jimmy drop his ice cream, to which Donnie forcefully grabs him, and when Lorna intervenes, he strikes her without any remorse. Margaret later visits Lorna at their home to check on her, but the Landlady (Heather Lea MacCallum) tells her that the family has left town. Margaret goes home and packs her bags, intending to go searching for them and rescue Jimmy. George is reluctant and refuses to let her go alone, so he joins her. George and Margaret speak to Sheriff Nevelson (Bradley Stryker) who gives them a lead in Forsyth, Montana. There, a shop owner who is related to the Weboys tells them to look in Gladstone, North Dakota. George is startled to discover that Margaret brought his gun with her, but she strongly feels she will need it. Outside of Gladstone, they encounter young Native American Peter Dragswolf (The Twilight Saga's Booboo Stewart) who provides them with some food and warmth for the evening. Peter tells them to look for Bill Weboy (Jeffrey Donovan), who turns out to be Donnie's uncle. The following morning, George and Margaret travel and meet Bill, who calls Donnie's mother, Blanche (Lesley Manville), who wants to meet them. At her house, Blanche initially appears pleasant, but when Lorna and Jimmy arrive, she starts to show her true colours. She makes rude comments toward the Blackledges and speaks sternly toward Lorna. The following day, George and Margaret visit Lorna at her workplace and take her for lunch. They plead with her to return home to Montana with Jimmy, but she is worried about what Donnie will do if she tries to leave. But Lorna is convinced and sneaks out later while the Weboys are asleep. Later that night, Blanche, Donnie, and Bill, along with Blanche's two other sons Marvin (Adam Stafford) and Elton (Connor Mackay), break into the Blackledges' motel room. Margaret tells Blanche that Donnie struck Lorna and Jimmy. Blanche asks Donnie if it is true, slapping him, and then asks Margaret how hard he hit Lorna. When she orders him to hit Margaret, George grabs his gun and points it at them. The men overpower him, and Blanche has Donnie chop off his fingers from his right hand with a hatchet. When they leave, Margaret takes George to the hospital. The Gladstone Sheriff (Greg Lawson) visits and tells them that the Weboys claimed that George attacked first and that he and Margaret were reported to be planning to abduct Jimmy. The sheriff tells them that Jimmy is a Weboy now and suggests that the Blackledges should leave town. Defeated, George and Margaret make their way back to Montana, but George has become weakened, and they return to Peter's to rest. Peter talks to Margaret and tells her about how men once stormed his village, took children away from their families, and then tried to "wash the Indian" out of them. When he returned to his grandmother, they couldn't understand each other anymore. Margaret asks George if they can move closer to the family, but George is ready to give up. Margaret breaks down, devastated that they have lost both James and Jimmy. During the night, George sneaks out and goes back to the Weboy house. George finds a shotgun and replaces its shells, then he sets a fire outside as a distraction. Making his way into Donnie and Lorna's room, he holds Donnie at gunpoint while Lorna leaves. Meanwhile, Margaret notices George has gone and rushes with Peter to find him. George knocks Donnie unconscious when he tries to alert the others. Blanche wakes up while George fights with Bill, and Lorna tumbles down the stairs. Blanche aims her gun at George as he gets Jimmy back, but she accidentally shoots Bill in the face and kills him. George throws the baby over the balcony to Lorna, and she catches him. Blanche shoots George in the chest. But he has enough strength to fight her for the gun as Marvin and Elton run upstairs. The scuffle causes Blanche to shoot both Marvin and Elton dead. Margaret and Peter find Lorna and Jimmy outside. Margaret rushes to help George, but Blanche corners them, she shoots and kills George. Margaret then grabs the shotgun and shoots Blanche dead. Peter gets her out as the Weboy house burns down. In the morning, Margaret bids farewell to Peter and drives home with Lorna and Jimmy. She cries for the loss of George, but looks over at Jimmy, knowing that he is finally safe. Also starring Will Hochman as Tucker, John Treleaven as Justice of the Peace, Ryan Northcott as Doctor, and Ravonna Dow as Nurse. Lane as the concerned and gritty mother-in-law is great, and Costner is reliable as the craggy former law enforcer, but it is Manville that stands out in her slightly short time onscreen as the outspoken, cunning, and unshakeable grandmother. The first half of the film is a bit sluggish, as the in-laws search for their endangered relative and the baby, it gets interesting in the second half when they meet the nasty matriarch and her sons, it is tense and emotional when it needs to be, it is a slow burner that I personally think is a little overrated, but certainly a worthwhile western crime drama. Good!
  • Mabkid - 14 May 2023
    Grandparents vs White Trash
    Let Him Go is a a Western (crime) drama. The beginning premise is solid. When the daughter-in-law remarries, the grandparents consider the well-being of the grandson.

    Kevin Costner and Diane Lane carry this movie with their amazing performances, one as a hardened retired lawman, and the other as a tough rancher (horse whisperer). They are a joy to watch.

    The plot starts out well. The stage is set. Up until the tense dinner at the Weboy's, everything was fine. However, the story didn't really reach its potential before descending into violence. And the violence unfolded somewhat ridiculously. The much feared Weboys didn't really enter the equation much. Makes you wonder why they have so much power over the policr and this town.