It’s 1961, and retired sheriff George Blackledge (Kevin Costner) and his wife Margaret (Diane Lane) live on a ranch in Montana, along with their son James (Ryan Bruce), his wife Lorna (Kayli Carter) and their newborn Jimmy. However, tragedy strikes and James is suddenly killed when thrown from one of the family’s horses. Three years after James’ death, Lorna decides to re-marry, to a man named Donnie Weboy (William Brittain), and she and Jimmy move into an apartment nearby with Donnie. Margaret has never really approved of Donnie, and suspects something is off about him. So, when Lorna, Jimmy and Donnie suddenly abandon their new home in the middle of the night, Margaret grows concerned, worrying for her grandson’s safety. Jimmy is the last connection to her only son, and she doesn’t want to let him go. She packs up the car and plans to track Donnie down and bring her grandson home. A reluctant George agrees to join her, worried that his wife is not thinking straight, and allowing her emotions and grief to cloud her judgement. As the Blackledges head out on their quest to find Jimmy, they soon discover that Danny’s family, the Weboys, are a rough, tough and close-knit clan, who have lots of family and connections throughout the backwoods of North Dakota, and don’t take kindly to strangers getting up in their business. Donnie’s uncles, and family matriarch Blanche (Lesley Manville), plan to turn Jimmy into the next generation of Weboy, and aren’t going to give him up without a fight! The Blackledges have severely underestimated what they have gotten themselves into.

I didn’t really know anything about Let Him Go when I sat down to watch the movie, and I was pleasantly surprised. At the core of the film are the outstanding performances by Diane Lane and Kevin Costner. Here are two grieving parents who tragically lost their only son, and now are about to lose their only grandson as well. Margaret is the one who has spearheaded this rescue mission, ready and willing to give up everything to find Jimmy. She once loved breaking horses and riding herself, but after James’ death she no longer found joy in those things. Instead, she devoted herself to her grandson. But after Lorna got married and moved out of the house, she no longer had that (but at least they were initially still nearby). Now she is desperate to reconnect with her family, and rightly worried for the safety of her grandson. However, she lets her emotions run wild, often causing her to act without considering the consequences. While it’s not explicitly called out, its pretty clear that George has turned to drinking to dull his grief. While he, too, loves his grandson, he is afraid that this quest is useless. He can’t believe his wife thinks that Lorna is just going to hand over Jimmy to come and live with Margaret and him. But George loves his wife, and would do anything to try to help ease her grieving.

A large part of the movie is this road trip with George and Margaret as they try to locate where Donnie has taken their family. Along the way they share some fond memories, some laughs, some tears and some arguments, but the longtime, loving bond and relationship between this couple becomes extremely clear and evident. The Blackledges also cross paths with a young Native American man named Peter Dragswolf (Booboo Stewart), who is trying to make it on his own out in the wilderness. In some ways Peter reminds Lorna of her own son, and she quickly makes a connection with him. However, once the Blackledges finally track down Donnie’s uncle Bill (Jeffrey Donovan) and the rest of the Weboys, the film takes on a very different feeling and tone, becoming much more of a thriller. The Blackledges are outsiders in this town, and are well outnumbered by the Weboy clan. Blanche Weboy makes it ominously clear that she is in charge, and that Jimmy is the next generation of Weboys, and they aren’t going to give him up without a fight! Margaret makes the mistake of assuming that the Weboys are a bunch of dimwitted country bumpkins that she can easily outwit, and this leads the Blackledges into a darker and more deadly situation. Margaret and Geroge have severely underestimated what they have gotten themselves into!

Lesley Manville, Jeffrey Donovan, and the rest of the supporting cast do an excellent job of bringing this menacing Weboy clan to life. Blanche is this tough crime family matriarch who can act like a sweet innocent grandmother one second, and in the next she’s trying to stab you to protect her flock. And Uncle Bill acts like the nice, charming southerner one second, and then all creepy, rapey and sadistic the next. This is one messed up family you don’t want to cross or even get involved with in any way!

Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds excellent. The film starts off in this lush, green Montana countryside with a beautiful blue skyline and white clouds. Then it heads into the darker, more depressed backwoods of North Dakota, and the stately gothic Weboy home. The film does an excellent job of recreating the look and feel of the early 1960s era, with the décor, costumes, storefronts, and cars. Throughout the film, the picture remains clean and detailed, with a rich color palette. The audio track provides clear dialogue while also making excellent use of the surround and stereo channels to bring this world to life, yielding a very immersive viewing experience. This is especially noticeable as the rumble of wind and sounds of inclement weather fill the room, and during the film’s exciting climax.

The release comes with both a Blu-ray and DVD disc packed on either side of a standard HD keepcase with a slipcover. The release also includes a slip with redemption instructions for an HD Movies Anywhere-compatible digital copy of the film, plus a bonus Universal All-Access Rewards points code that can be used for a free digital movie or towards other rewards. Both discs contain the same bonus material, which consists of about 14 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and filmmakers.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:53:37)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), French 7.1 DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, Spanish 5.1 DTS Digital Surround Sound
• Subtitles: English SDH, French-Canadian, French, Spanish

DVD:

• 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (code may not be valid after 3/31/2022):

• HD digital copy redeemable via Movies Anywhere or Vudu
• Universal All-Access Rewards Code (Offer may not be valid after 12/31/2025)
  Code can be redeemed for points towards a free digital movie or other items in the new Universal All-Access Rewards program. The selection of free digital titles changes every two months and, as of February 1, 2020, include Field of Dreams (4K), Elizabeth: The Golden Age, U-571, Cowboys & Aliens, The Little Rascals Save the Day and Larry Crowne

Extras:

The same collection of three behind-the-scenes featurettes can be found on both discs. These include behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with writer/director/producer Thomas Bezucha, producer Paula Mazur, directory of photography Guy Godfree, production designer Trevor Smith, and stars Kevin Costner (“George Blackledge”/executive producer), Diane Lane (“Margaret Blackledge”), Jeffrey Donovan (“Bill Weboy”) & Lesley Manville (“Blanche Weboy”). Play All, or select from:
• The Making of Let Him Go (6:23)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about the story, its genre-defying feel, the production design, the supporting cast, the sets, and more.
• The Blackledges: Kevin Costner & Diane Lane (4:14)
  The cast and filmmakers discuss the characters of George and Margaret, their relationship, the tough situation they are thrust into, and what these two actors bring to their roles.
• Lighting the Way: Thomas Bezucha (3:15)
  The writer/director talks about how he originally found the story the film is based on, and why he wanted to tell this story. The rest of the cast and filmmakers talk about working with the writer/director, and his creative vision for the story.

Final Thoughts:

Let Him Go is a thoroughly entertaining and engaging film, due in large part to the stellar and emotional performances by its leads. The movie transcends several genres, from character drama, to a couple dealing with loss, to a road trip movie, to a thriller, and even a bit of a revenge film. Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds excellent, and even includes a small but interesting collection of bonus material. This release comes highly recommended based on the quality of the film and the performances.