Halle Berryreturned to horror inNever Let Go, with which she broke a majorRotten Tomatoesrecord, but not a 21-year streak. Halle Berry has explored a variety of genres in her acting career and excelled at many, and after a couple of drama and action movies in recent years, she returned to the horror genre in Alexandre Aja’s survival horror thrillerNever Let Go. In it, Berry plays a mother simply referred to (and credited as) “Momma”, who lives with her two young children, Nolan (Percy Daggs IV) and Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins), in a cabin in a remote forest.
Momma is haunted by visions of supernatural entities that, even though her kids can’t see, she believes are real. Momma tells her sons that asupernatural force known as “The Evil”spread across the world, ending it and leaving them as the only survivors, so they spend their days hunting for food. To keep the Evil from touching them, they tie ropes to themselves when leaving the house, connecting them back to it.Never Let Gohas gotten mixed reviews from critics and reactions from general audiences, but it still broke a bigRotten Tomatoesrecord for Halle Berry.
Never Let Go Is Halle Berry’s Highest-Rated Horror Movie On Rotten Tomatoes
Halle Berry Is No Stranger To Horror Movies
Never Let Gohas some flaws, so much that its“twist” has been compared to that of M. Night Shyamalan’sThe Village, but it still performed a lot better than Halle Berry’s past horror movies. At the time of writing,Never Let Gohas a 57% critics' score onRotten Tomatoes, labeling it as “rotten”. Unfortunately, it hasn’t performed better with general audiences, who have given it a 53% score so far. Despite its low and rotten score,Never Let Gois Halle Berry’s highest-rated horror movie onRotten Tomatoes.
As mentioned above,Never Let Gohas received mixed reviews from critics, though most of them agree that Berry’s performance is its biggest strength.Never Let Go’s suspenseful and anxiety-inducing atmosphere has also been praised by critics, but many agree that its biggest weakness is its story.The big twist about the Evil and the world is too predictable, which madeNever Let Golose many points with critics (and general audiences).Never Let Goalso left too many unanswered questions that, along with its predictable twist, ruined the experience for many critics.
Never Let Go Review: Halle Berry Leads Anxiety-Inducing Horror That Makes For A Better Family Drama
It may not work on every level, but there’s intrigue & compelling character dynamics to carry it through to an ending that’ll start conversations.
Others have pointed out thatNever Let Gowas marketed as a horror movie but falls more into the area of a psychological drama, mostly due to its core themes, as is mental illness. Overall,Never Let Gohas been called messy, predictable, inconsistent, and even boring, yet it has performed better than Berry’s past horror movies.
Halle Berry’s Horror Movies Are All Rotten On Rotten Tomatoes
Halle Berry’s Horror Movies Haven’t Been The Critics’ Favorites
Halle Berry’s first horror movie wasGothika, released in 2003. Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz,Gothikafollows Dr. Miranda Grey (Berry), a psychiatrist who is committed to the hospital where she worked after a strange car accident and is accused of brutally murdering her husband.Gothikahas a 15% critics' score onRotten Tomatoesand a 45% audience score, both giving it a “rotten” label. In 2007, Berry starred inPerfect Stranger, directed by James Foley, where she played reporter Rowena Price, who goes undercover to investigate the man she thinks murdered her childhood best friend.
Gothika: Why The Horror Movie Was So Disliked (Despite An Amazing Cast)
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Perfect Strangerhas a 10% critics score onRotten Tomatoes, though a better (yet still rotten) audience score of 51%. Next was the action horror thrillerDark Tide, in 2012, directed by John Stockwell.Dark Tideis the story of Kate (Berry), a traumatized shark expert who is forced to confront her fears on a dive into a dangerous section of water.Dark Tidehas a 0% critics scoreand a 16% audience score. The following year, Berry starred inThe Call, directed by Brad Anderson, where she played a 911 operator attending the call of a kidnapped teenage girl.
The Callhas a 44% critics score onRotten Tomatoesand a 65% audience score, giving it the highest audience score out of all of Berry’s horror movies.Never Let Go, then, is Berry’s highest-rated horror movie even though it’s still rotten, so it couldn’t break her rotten streak in the horror genre.
Never Let Go Could Be A Turning Point For Halle Berry’s Horror Movie Career
Halle Berry Might Be About To Make An Interesting Change
Never Let Gomight not have been a hit with critics and general audiences, but what most agree on is that Halle Berry’s performance is the movie’s biggest strength. Even with its rotten critics' score,Never Let Gowas close to having a majority of positive reviewsand escaping a “rotten” label, so it’s not a disastrous return to the horror genre for Berry. As she’s seemingly backing away from action-heavy roles after her work in movies likeKingsman: The Golden Circle,John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, andThe Union,horror could be where Halle Berry decides to focus on more now.
Never Let Go
A mother and her twin sons are trapped in their house by a malevolent force, relying on their familial bond and physical connection for safety. When one son questions the reality of the evil, their unity unravels, leading to a terrifying battle for survival in this psychological thriller/horror.
