FIRST LOOK: Let Him Go

I like Kevin Costner’s acting style and his clean-cut look fits. He has a certain regalness to his roles.

Diane Lane has been around awhile and in a few films I’ve enjoyed. I can’t really remember her being a bad actress in anything, but she’s been in some dreadful movies. Most recently she’s played Martha Kent in the Superman movies.

Costner clearly has a better resume of good to great films, certainly he has some stinkers too — it just happens if you’re around long enough and active in the business. He played Clay Shaw in one of my all time favorites from Oliver Stone, JFK. Have seen Costner in Yellowstone, his newest TV show, recently and liked what I saw there. So, Costner’s involvement in any film, regardless the story, has me a little more interested than just random unknown actor. Diane Lane, purely on her many years of experience also ratchets up my anticipation.

So with these two leads, particularly Costner, I’m intrigued by what this film might offer.

Kevin Costner and Diane Lane are starring together in a new thriller titled Let Him Go. It looks like a western version of Taken, with Coster and Lane trying to rescue their grandson from an “off the grid” family being led by Phantom Thread’s Lesley Manville.

Kevin Costner Goes Full Liam Neeson In Let Him Go Trailer

Like the description of a Western version of Taken, but Costner doesn’t give me the same vibe as Liam Neeson, so kind of hoping that’s not what this film is like.

Let’s look at the official trailer:

Uh oh, did Costner’s character in the first few seconds just say, “Don’t start what you can’t finish?”

Yeah, that’s definite Liam Neeson territory. Maybe he can play the heavie, but he just works better casting-wise as less of a heavy type and more polished. Maybe I’m typecasting him, but that’s what I think from his past work. He’s played flawed characters including athletes (Bull Durham!), but I don’t remember him venturing very often into roles like Rutger Hauer or Liam Neeson.

Still looking forward to seeing this based on the trailer. Will try my best to clear my memory and see if Costner surprises. He’s done it before. He’s got the talent to do so. What do you think of this one?

Let Him Go opens wide domestically in theaters on November 6, 2020.