--- title: "Let Him Go: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/let-him-go/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/let-him-go" critics_score: 65 critics_reviews: 21 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Let Him Go (2020): what the critics said Critics' score 65 from 21 reviews: 11 positive, 7 mixed, 3 negative. 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. ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 2 November 2020. 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 review](https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/let-him-go-review-kevin-costner-diane-lane-1234817443/) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 6 November 2020. 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 review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-let-him-go-with-kevin-costner-and-diane-lane.html) ## Radio Times — Josh Winning Rating 4/5. 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 review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-l3f7uu/let-him-go/) ## The Guardian — Benjamin Lee Rating 4/5. 5 November 2020. 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 review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/nov/05/let-him-go-review-kevin-costner-diane-lane-lesley-manville) ## RogerEbert.com — Brian Tallerico Rating 3/4. 6 November 2020. The review regards the film as a solid, old-fashioned thriller. It singles out the performances of Diane Lane and Kevin Costner. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/let-him-go-movie-review) ## The i Paper — Francesca Steele Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 2020. 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 review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/let-him-go-review-diane-lane-kevin-costner-799345) ## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger Rating B-. 2 November 2020. 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 review](https://www.avclub.com/kevin-costner-and-diane-lane-embark-on-a-western-ish-mi-1845533569) ## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2020. 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 review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-11-04/review-let-him-go-diane-lane-kevin-costner) ## Sight and Sound — BFI Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 18 December 2020. 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 review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/let-him-go-thomas-bezucha-battling-matriarch-melodrama-diane-lane-lesley-manville) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 28 October 2020. 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 review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/11/09/matriarchs-of-steel-in-let-him-go) ## Screen Daily — Fionnuala Halligan Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 2 November 2020. 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 review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/let-him-go-review/5154245.article) ## Little White Lies — Leslie Byron Pitt Rating 4/3/3. 18 December 2020. 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 review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/let-him-go) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Rating C. 2 November 2020. 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 review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/let-him-go-review-1234596146/) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2020. 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 review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/let-him-go/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — John DeFore Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 2 November 2020. 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 review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/let-him-go-film-review-4086825/) ## Slant Magazine — Dan Rubins Rating 1/4. 2 November 2020. 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 review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review-let-him-go-is-a-hammy-melodrama-thats-parched-for-backstory/) ## Collider — Jeff Sneider Rating B+. 4 November 2020. 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 review](https://collider.com/let-him-go-review-kevin-costner-diane-lane/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 November 2020. 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 review](https://www.thewrap.com/let-him-go-film-review-diane-lane-kevin-costner/) ## Film Stories — Simon Brew Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 December 2020. 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 review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/let-him-go-review-diane-lane-and-kevin-costner-hit-the-big-screen/) ## /Film — Evan Saathoff Rating 7/10. 2 November 2020. 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 review](https://www.slashfilm.com/577561/let-him-go-review/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 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 review](https://theplaylist.net/let-him-go-review-kevin-costner-diane-lane-20201105/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/let-him-go.md