Every so often, we witness a performance that’s so good it would be criminal not to share it, and the latest is Let Him Go. Set in 1960s Montana, the remarkably good drama stars Lesley Manville as Blanche Weboy – a villainous matriarch who’s determined to keep her daughter-in-law and grandson in her family’s abusive control. And it’s so brilliant, we’d put it up there with her performance in Sherwood.
Dealing with the consequences of Blanche’s behaviour are George (Kevin Costner) and Margaret Blackledge (Diane Lane), whose grandson, Jimmy, is essentially held captive along with their daughter-in-law, Lorna (Kayli Carter), by the Weboys. A retired sheriff, George will stop at nothing to get his grandson back and leaves his and Margaret’s Montana ranch to embark on a journey to free him.
With the series available to watch on Netflix tonight, here’s everything you need to know about Let Him Go before you dive in, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Let Him Go about?
The film is based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Larry Watson and stars Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as George and Margaret Blackledge, who set out to rescue their grandson from the clutches of a villainous family. The setting is Montana in 1961, where retired sheriff, George and Margaret live on a ranch.
Things take a tragic turn when their son James (Ryan Bruce) dies in an accident while out on his horse and their daughter-in-law Lorna (Kayli Carter) - and mother of their grandson Jimmy – goes on to marry Donnie Weboy (Will Brittain). Donnie is a far cry from James – he’s abusive and takes Lorna and Kimmy to North Dakota, far away from his grandparents. Jimmy does have one grandparent there, however – matriarch Blanche Weboy (Lesley Manville).
Determined to get their grandson back, George and Margaret decide to track the family down – and when they discover the Weboys have absolutely no intention of letting Jimmy go, they’re left with no choice but to fight for him. It’s a gritty yet moving film that plays out a nightmare no grandparent would want to face.
Star Lesley Manville told ScreenRant what appealed to her about playing such an unlikeable character, explaining: “I like the fact that she saw herself as some glamorous movie icon, and that she would have the platinum blonde and the red lips and the red nails. She thinks she's fabulous; she thinks she's just everything. She's really not all of those things are very, very good to get to grips with to play. And any actress would want to do that.
“And it is appealing to play a bad person. It just is. All the interviews I have done about other bad women that I've played, and this one included, it's quite hard to define why. But I think probably the best thing is that it's some kind of subconscious therapy, maybe. Because I actually do live quite a good wholesome life. So, there you go.”
Who’s in the cast of Let Him Go?
The cast of Let Him Go includes:
- Lesley Manville (Midwinter Break)
- Kayli Carter (Private Life)
- Jeffrey Donovan (Fargo)
- Will Brittain (Clementine)
- Kevin Costner (Yellowstone)
- Diane Lane (Unfaithful)
- Will Hochman (Blue Bloods)
- Ryan Bruce (Mistletoe Match)
Is there a trailer for Let Him Go?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for Let Him Go below.
Is Let Him Go any good?
Yes – if you enjoy a good revenge thriller, you’ll like Let Him Go. Lesley plays a villain as if she was born for it, while the chemistry between Diane Lane and Kevin Coster is brilliant to watch. Viewers have called it “heartfelt”, “satisfying” and a thriller that features “top performances” – so it gets top marks all round.
How can I watch Let Him Go?
Let Him Go is available to watch now on Netflix.
What other Lesley Manville dramas can I watch now?
If you’re a fan of spy thrillers, it’s worth adding Citadel to your watchlist. The series stars Richard Madden and Priyanka Jonas as two spies who once loved each other before their memories were wiped. Lesley is fantastic as the cunning Dahlia Archer who serves as the UK’s ambassador to the US. You can watch Citadel on Prime Video. For something a little less dark, we’d suggest Misbehaviour. The film is a dramatisation of the infamous 1970 Miss World event and features a must-see performance from Lesley as the wife of host Bob Hope. For a sneak peek at what other dramas Lesley has coming up, check out our round-up of her upcoming shows here.
