Most critics lean warm on Let Him Go, though not by a wide margin. Praise clusters almost entirely on the acting: Diane Lane is repeatedly named as the film’s anchor, her scenes with Kevin Costner valued for a quiet, largely wordless ease, and Lesley Manville’s turn as the Weboy matriarch is singled out by several as the performance that stays with them. The film is generally taken as an old-fashioned, patient thriller for older audiences, tense and well made.
The reservations gather around the third act. Many find the shift from restrained family drama into violent pulp abrupt, arriving too late or landing as implausible, and some think the sentiment thin and the supporting characters flat. The spread is wide: The Hollywood Reporter and Empire find the tonal lurch unconvincing enough to sink the film, and Slant Magazine dismisses it as hammy melodrama, while Variety and Vulture take the same swerve as the point, a thriller that becomes a story about sacrifice.
V
Variety
2 November 2020 · Owen Gleiberman
85*
Gleiberman finds the film an original, gripping thriller that turns into a touching story of romance and sacrifice. He especially praises Lane and Costner’s performances and the suspenseful, emotionally honest treatment of heroism.
Read the full review →V
Vulture
6 November 2020 · Bilge Ebiri
82*
Ebiri finds the film a surprisingly affecting, patient Western romance that stays with the viewer. He especially praises Lesley Manville’s magnetic, larger-than-life performance as the Weboy family matriarch.
Read the full review →R
Radio Times
★★★★ · Josh Winning
80
Winning praises the film as an arresting western and welcomes the reunion of Diane Lane and Kevin Costner. He singles out their pairing as a particular joy.
Read the full review →G
The Guardian
5 November 2020 · ★★★★ · Benjamin Lee
80
Lee finds the shift from a restrained neo-western to a violent B-movie entertaining, though the mayhem arrives too late. He especially praises Lesley Manville’s electric, fierce performance as the villainous Blanche.
Read the full review →R
RogerEbert.com
6 November 2020 · ★★★/4 · Brian Tallerico
75
The review regards the film as a solid, old-fashioned thriller. It singles out the performances of Diane Lane and Kevin Costner.
Read the full review →i
The i Paper
17 December 2020 · Francesca Steele
75*
The review finds the film tender and tense, with restrained momentum before a bombastic third act. It particularly praises the easy familiarity and exchanges between Diane Lane and Kevin Costner.
Read the full review →A
The AV Club
2 November 2020 · B- · Jesse Hassenger
70
Hassenger finds the film a skillfully made, affecting mix of restrained family melodrama and pulp, though its sentiment can feel flavorless. He praises Diane Lane for making the separation scene genuinely moving.
Read the full review →L
Los Angeles Times
4 November 2020 · Katie Walsh
65*
Walsh finds the film an engaging but somewhat ephemeral melodrama, with a hopeful undercurrent. She particularly praises Diane Lane’s performance, which she says is the element that lingers.
Read the full review →S
Sight and Sound
18 December 2020 · BFI
65*
The review finds the melodrama familiar but tense and atmospheric, ultimately holding the attention. It praises the windswept landscape and effective tension, while criticizing the one-dimensional supporting characters.
Read the full review →N
The New Yorker
28 October 2020 · Anthony Lane
65*
Lane finds the film low-key and cleanly told, with Diane Lane’s performance providing its strongest force. He also praises Lesley Manville’s imposing turn, though he argues the finale gives the decisive moment to the wrong character.
Read the full review →S
Screen Daily
2 November 2020 · Fionnuala Halligan
64*
The review presents the film as a twilight-years Western aimed at older audiences. The review text is paywalled, so its verdict and specific praise or complaint are unavailable.
Read the full review →L
Little White Lies
18 December 2020 · 4/3/3 · Leslie Byron Pitt
60
The critic finds it an entertaining, traditionally told slow-burn western elevated by an invested cast. They single out Diane Lane’s performance and the dignity the film gives its mature protagonists.
Read the full review →I
IndieWire
2 November 2020 · C · David Ehrlich
57
Ehrlich finds the film an uneven, slackly paced attempt to blend a revenge thriller with a mythic Western. He praises Lesley Manville’s performance and the perspective offered by the young Native American character.
Read the full review →E
Empire
16 December 2020 · Ian Freer
30*
Freer finds the film slow and tonally uneven, with an unconvincing shift into violent thriller territory. He singles out Lesley Manville’s performance as a memorable, energetic crime boss.
Read the full review →H
The Hollywood Reporter
2 November 2020 · John DeFore
30*
The critic finds the film heartfelt and handsomely made but ultimately unconvincing, as it shifts from grounded family drama into implausible genre territory. He praises Diane Lane and Kevin Costner’s involving performances and the couple’s quietly conveyed bond.
Read the full review →S
Slant Magazine
2 November 2020 · ★/4 · Dan Rubins
25
Rubins finds the film a hammy melodrama that loses emotional and character depth as it escalates. He praises Diane Lane’s searing performance, especially in the film’s quieter moments.
Read the full review →C
Collider
4 November 2020 · B+ · Jeff Sneider
83
Sneider calls it a well-crafted, emotionally sensitive thriller, though its leisurely pace and missing perspective from Lorna weaken its impact. He especially praises Kevin Costner’s restrained performance and the quiet, convincing rapport between the leads.
Read the full review →The critic finds the film a tense, skillfully balanced genre piece. They praise Lane and Costner’s performances and their expressive, largely wordless rapport.
Read the full review →F
Film Stories
14 December 2020 · Simon Brew
75*
The critic finds the film absorbing and unusually refreshing, with a conventional final act that slightly disappoints. Diane Lane’s performance is singled out as the film’s anchor.
Read the full review →/
/Film
2 November 2020 · 7/10 · Evan Saathoff
70
The critic finds the film modest but entertaining, with enough charm to make it worth seeing on the big screen. Diane Lane’s forceful performance and Kevin Costner’s gruff screen presence are singled out as pleasures, though the story gives Lorna too little perspective.
Read the full review →The URL identifies this as a review of the specified film, but the page provides no access to the critic’s verdict. No praise or complaint can be established from the available content.
Read the full review →Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate