What’s Real and What’s Not in Never Let Go’s Surreal Ending

As a film enthusiast with a background in psychology and a penchant for unraveling complex narratives, I must say that this movie, “The Devil All The Time,” left me utterly baffled yet intrigued! It’s like a twisted puzzle box, each piece fitting into the next, but never quite revealing the whole picture.

One key takeaway from Alexandre Aja’s suspenseful horror film “Never Let Go” is the importance of not interfering with a boy’s bond with his dog, regardless of who you are – in this case, it was Halle Berry. However, beyond that, the movie left us with more questions than answers.

In “Never Let Go”, we follow June (Momma), her sons Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins) and Nolan (Percy Daggs IV), and their canine companion, Coda (Brass). According to June, she and her boys are the last of a world that has been devastated by wickedness. Their home serves as their sanctuary, and whenever they venture out to gather supplies, they secure themselves with ropes to extend the house’s protective barriers, acting like defensive extension cords against evil forces. As winter takes its toll, Samuel and Nolan start questioning whether their mother is truly shielding them or if her overprotective nature indicates that she, too, may be damaged.

Throughout much of its duration, the movie “Never Let Go” moves at a deliberate pace, yet its climax unexpectedly detonates with the force of a gunpowder blast. (Be advised: Spoilers follow.)

When June informs the boys that they must eliminate their pet dog as a means of survival, Nolan balks at her command. Instead, he confines June within the greenhouse and severs her restraints – an action intended to demonstrate that she’s grasping at shadows. Not much time passes before June encounters a grotesque, leaking phantom resembling her mother, who taunts her into murdering her sons. Contrariwise, June inflicts harm upon herself. Sam remains unforgiving towards Nolan for their mother’s demise, and when a hiker arrives at the residence, he assumes it to be another ruse of “the evil.” However, it is then, that the hiker’s daughter appears in search of him, discovers June’s remains, and takes flight from Sam during the night – causing Sam to relinquish his hold on the situation and pursue the fleeing girl.

In simple terms, it seems that the story unfolds with predictable darkness. The villain attacks Sam, imprisoning Nolan within their home which is later set ablaze. However, before the blaze, Nolan confines himself in a hidden prayer room, a small space beneath a trapdoor, accompanied by a spectral version of their mother who transforms into a snake and vanishes upon hearing “I love you.” As we ascend into the helicopter, any expectation for a straightforward resolution has vanished. Nevertheless, let’s attempt to decipher this bizarre and mysterious finale nonetheless!

As a cinephile, let me set the scene: I’m right smack in the middle of it now. The spectral figure of what once was Momma, her tongue forked like a snake, spews out a venomous “baaaAAAd” at June, accusing her of poisoning her food. And when dear old dad makes an appearance, he’s quick to remind June that she’s been keeping secrets about their father, and that if she spills the truth, it would reveal who she truly is to the boys.

But Samuel and Nolan can’t see any of these creatures?Right.

In this film, Aja purposefully leaves the nature of these apparitions unclear. Some viewers might interpret these specters as hallucinations since only June seems to see them and they seem to reflect her perceived personal shortcomings. Given that June was raised under a strict form of Christianity, these experiences could be a manifestation of emotional self-punishment. Moreover, the movie suggests that June may have suffered physical abuse at the hands of her mother, as evidenced by the scars on her back and the threats made by Zombie Mom to harm June for occupying her chair. The film subtly invites us to question whether June was trapped in a repressive home environment and resorted to killing her oppressors to escape.

Furthermore, there’s also strong evidence suggesting that “the evil” is genuine, primarily due to the Polaroid selfie taken by Samuel at the end of the film, which clearly reveals a demon’s hand on his shoulder. Since we, as viewers, see this photograph from our own perspective rather than just through Samuel’s point of view, it’s logical to conclude that he was indeed affected by an evil presence.

If “the evil” exists, then would it imply that the hiker who visited after Momma committed suicide was just a hallucination for Samuel and Nolan? Unless, of course, they had hallucinated an entire supply of Hormel chili cans as well.

It appears that the food Nolan took from the hiker’s backpack isn’t imaginary, suggesting that he is more than just a product of the boys’ imaginations. Additionally, he’s holding an iPhone, something Samuel and Nolan wouldn’t be familiar with, making it unlikely that they are hallucinating.

However, upon releasing the rope, the hiker’s child transforms into an odd, unsettling creature resembling a monster. One might question if it was ever truly human.

I believe that both the girl and her father are authentic, and when someone releases the rope, they seemingly enter an alternate reality where “the wickedness” has been concealed all along. Individuals who have encountered this evil continue to live in our normal world, but now, this darkness can influence and manipulate them, distorting their view of reality.

As a movie lover, it seems to me she might be mistaken, misled, or simply unaware of the bigger picture. To put it another way, her perspective could be clouded by trauma, causing her to isolate herself from the truth.

If it is indeed Samuel who is possessed by the “end”, then perhaps the rope binding everyone to the house was serving as a protective barrier, keeping them safe from harm. It’s an interesting thought that the evil may not extend beyond the family’s property line. We might need to consult with the local planning or zoning department to confirm this.

It appears that the following events transpired: Sam released the rope, likely came under some influence, and subsequently made the choice to kill his brother and wreck the house, which serves as their sanctuary against “the evil.

However, it’s essential to remember that the film is designed to be ambiguous on purpose; our goal is to clarify aspects of the movie, but many questions left unanswered are intentionally so because they don’t have clear-cut solutions.

It seems like in the movie’s ending, when Nolan hugged the ghost of Halle Berry and she transformed into a snake before vanishing upon saying “I love you,” you interpreted this as the defeat of evil. However, during the helicopter scene, Sam said “I love you more,” which might suggest that the evil within him could still be present. Explaining such a movie to someone unfamiliar with it would indeed be quite challenging due to its unusual plot points!

I believe that the scene where Nolan embraces his mother and expresses his love (despite a monster emerging from her body) symbolizes the triumphant influence of family love and forgiveness. When June’s snake form relaxes into Nolan’s arms and vanishes, it seems like a soothing moment of resolution and closure. However, when Sam says that “the darkness” made Nolan believe he had spoken those words initially, it suggests that the shadows may not have been completely vanquished yet.

It’s possible to argue that Sam, who is more devoted among June’s sons, symbolizes the ongoing battle of unresolved intergenerational trauma. His mother embraced her mother’s strict fundamentalism, and he has adopted it too. In contrast, Nolan might be seen as a potential disrupter or breaker of this cycle within the family. However, I believe that interpretation could be stretching things a bit too far; perhaps it’s not as intentional as some might suppose.

2024-09-26 01:54

What’s Real and What’s Not in Never Let Go’s Surreal Ending

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