‘Don’t Let Go’ has solid performances, but a muddled script hurts the movie

Posted on September 6, 2019

By MARK VIOLA

A common complaint about movies I tend to use is “predictable.” A recent example was “Angel Has Fallen,” in which I figured out who the bad guys were in quick order.

As for the new time-travel crime thriller “Don’t Let Go,” it is anything but predictable, although this is one of those cases in which its unpredictability is not necessarily a byproduct of smart writing but instead of just how random the story often feels.

Overall, the film is more successful than it probably should be thanks to some strong performances, and it delivers some solid tension that keeps our interest through to the end.

The story follows Det. Jack Radcliff (David Oyelowo, “Selma”), whose beloved niece Ashley (Storm Reid, “A Wrinkle in Time”) is killed, along with her parents, in a horrible crime his fellow officers can’t solve. A couple weeks after the murders, Jack receives a cell phone call from Ashley, who is somehow calling him from days before the murder. Convinced he can change the past if he can solve the crime, Jack sets out to find the murderer so he can warn Ashley in time. If the premise sounds familiar, that’s because it’s quite similar to 2000’s “Frequency,” only that film told the story of a father and son separated by decades, not weeks.

Subscribe to our e-Edition and read the rest of the story. Already a subscriber? Click here to sign in.