Halle Berry is brilliant in disturbing new horror movie, but there’s one big problem

Halle Berry makes a much-needed horror comeback in Never Let Go – but as brilliant as she is, I have a major problem with her character Momma.

If you have ever been a woman at some point in your life, you’ll have been asked one unavoidable question: when are you going to have kids? It’s the one part of womanhood that’s always assumed, no matter how you actually feel.

It’s worth stressing at this point that there’s no bad decision when it comes to having children, only one that works for the individual. Enter new horror movie Never Let Go, which totally gets this. Here, motherhood is the crux of trying to keep zombies out of a cabin in the woods. 

We love moms and their importance… and in this case, Halle Berry really makes it work for her. 

Berry is so committed to the bit that her character is only referred to as Momma – in fact, that’s her official name (check the credits). If you’re paying careful attention during the film’s first act, you’ll notice Momma does actually have a name of her own, June. Yet it’s mentioned in passing once, and viewers never properly explore her past life.

To a degree, this makes sense. The premise of Never Let Go is a mom who’s so convinced that an evil entity lurks in the woods around her house, that the only time she allows her kids outside is when she’s tethered to rope. Being a mother is her identity… her complete identity.

When I first watched the new movie, Momma’s lack of name stood out more to me than any grizzly killing, dog-related tragedy, or old zombie woman breathing down Berry’s neck (this last one is actually hilarious). Why don’t I know who this woman is without her children, or about the entire life she had away from them?

Yes, protecting her kids is the name of the game, but women are so much more than the children they have. When I got the chance to talk to Berry about the film, it was the question I wanted to ask the most… and I didn’t get the answer I was expecting.

Lionsgate

“We only really know your character as Momma,” I start. “But we do know she has a first name… that only comes out as we watch the film. 

“Primarily, we know her by her title. How do you think that affects how we see her?” 

“She’s Momma,” Berry replies. “She defines herself first and foremost as a mother to these boys. I’m not quite sure what you mean.”

As I sat in quiet embarrassment afterward, I processed what Berry had said. Is it possible she hadn’t understood why this could be an issue? Is it possible other women didn’t see it either? To me, that shines a light on a bigger problem, and we’re letting movies get away with it. 

It’s 2024 – why do female characters still not have names?

It’s not the fact Berry is playing a mom that’s the issue – it’s the fact her character has no name or identity outside of that role. Thanks to the zombie strangers who have inhabited the woods for what seems like years, we glean that Momma once had a full life outside of the cabin walls. Do we get to learn what any of what was? No.

Lionsgate

When you take away a woman’s name, you take away her existence. Perhaps this is something writers Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby did deliberately, hammering home a concept we can already pick up with context. Yes, we know it’s just the kids who obviously have names, yet the fact Momma is indeed “Momma” signals a horror all its own.

Look back over entertainment’s long, luscious history, and you’ll find a wheelbarrow full of characters who only ever went by the title of “Mom.” Whether that’s the kind that dates back to 1958’s Peter Gunn, independent films that prioritize younger = more important storylines (check out Tara Fitzgerald in Kindling), or, dare I say it, Rachel Hunter in ‘Stacy’s Mom,’ the examples point to one conclusion – women remain a caricature in their own story.

In fact, we’ve become so attuned to this that we don’t even notice that it could have a negative impact, and Berry is just one example of this. I’m not trying to trash her either – her performance is absolutely outstanding here. 

Lionsgate

Of course, for many women, being a mother is the most important thing in the world. But it’s also important not to stereotype or tarnish everyone with the same brush. 

By inadvertently making motherhood its anchor point, Never Let Go feeds into the same old problem. We’re seeing women as mothers and mothers alone – and frankly, that’s all Momma has to give during the horror movie. We’re robbed of seeing her nuances and backstory, and so is she. 

But perhaps this is all a bit too deep for a fairytale-based horror story that’s just supposed to give us a few cheap thrills. Perhaps making this case will slap a “woke agenda” label on me for good (not that I’d ever complain about that). 

When you live in a man’s world, being a woman is the real horror… so let’s not make things harder by reducing ourselves where we don’t need to. 

While Never Let Go comes to cinemas from September 20 in the US and September 27 in the UK.

You can also check out the best serial killer documentaries, the best horror movies on Prime Video, and the best Neon horror movies while you wait. Similarly, find new movies streaming this month.