Don't Go
Film poster
Directed byDavid Gleeson
Written byDavid Gleeson
Ronan Blaney
Produced byNathalie Lichtenthaeler
StarringStephen Dorff
Melissa George
CinematographyJames Mather
Edited byIsobel Stephenson
Music byFerry Corsten
CountryIreland
LanguageEnglish

Don't Go (also titled Don't Let Go) is a 2018 psychological thriller film from Irish writer/director David Gleeson, starring Stephen Dorff and Melissa George.[1] The music was produced by Ferry Corsten.

Plot

Struggling to come to terms with the tragic loss of Molly – their only child – Ben and Hazel Slater resolve to build a new life for themselves, renovating an idyllic hotel by the sea on Ireland's rugged west coast. But there is no escape, for the place is full of memories.

Haunted by the words 'Seas the day' which he sees everywhere and a recurring memory of a summer's day on the nearby beach when the family built sand castles topped with little red flags, Ben begins to realize that there are forces at work far beyond his understanding.

But what do those words mean? Could it be a childish misspelling of 'Seize the day'? Could this be a message from the other side? When Ben wakes from one of the dreams with a tiny red flag in his hand, he becomes convinced that just as he seized the flag, he can also seize his little girl from the dream. But nothing is ever so simple and when his wife's damaged best friend Serena arrives, Ben becomes terrified that the truth will be revealed ... The truth of how his daughter really died.

And as his grasp on reality begins to slip – as those around him begin to question his sanity – Ben becomes more determined than ever to solve this mystery and finally bring Molly home.

A determination which pays off as the pieces of the puzzle slot into place, giving Ben everything he ever wanted, but at a terrible price.

In his final dream, Ben realized what he had to do to bring Molly back. He finally remembered where he got his scar from. A boat named “Seas the Day” had hit him while he was swimming that day in the ocean, but he survived the accident. In an alternate universe version, he let himself get killed. That way, he would never have cheated on Hazel, Molly would not have walked into him and Serena and had the accident, and Serena would not have killed herself from guilt.

In the final scene, after Ben's funeral, Hazel is seen selling the house, and with the help of Serena, she and Molly are packing their things into the car. Her dog, however, ran back into the house and went upstairs. Hazel followed him into one of the rooms upstairs, where she found a tiny red flag on the windowsill.

Cast

Filming

The film[2] began shooting in An Spidéal, the west of Ireland on July 10, 2017, and wrapped after 22 days on August 4, 2017.[3]

Release

Don't Go was acquired for theatrical distribution[4] in the US by IFC Films and opened in theaters on October 18, 2018. Don't Go opened in theaters across Ireland on April 12, 2019.[5][6]

Reception

The film received generally negative reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 39% based on reviews from 23 critics.[7] The New York Times labelled the film a "middling thriller", but called Dorff's performance "Strikingly enigmatic."[8] The Los Angeles Times found the film "dry and dour", saying, "This picture needs less moping and more spooking."[9] Rex Reed panned the film, saying the script was "too slow for its own good."[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Don't Go". IFC Films.
  2. ↑ Busch, Anita (11 August 2017). "Stephen Dorff, Melissa George Headline David Gleeson's New Film 'Don't Let Go'".
  3. ↑ "#IrishFilm: Principal photography wraps on David Gleeson's Don't Let Go". Scannain. 4 August 2017.
  4. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (26 September 2018). "David Gleeson's 'Don't Go' Acquired By IFC Films, Will Hit Theaters In October".
  5. ↑ "EXCLUSIVE: Trailer & Artwork Released for David Gleeson's Supernatural Thriller 'Don't Go', in Irish Cinemas April 12th - The Irish Film & Television Network". www.iftn.ie.
  6. ↑ "Don't Go - David Gleeson on his new psychological thriller". www.rte.ie. 8 April 2019.
  7. ↑ "Don't Go". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  8. ↑ Bugbee, Teo (25 October 2018). "Review: In 'Don't Go,' Will a Dad's Dreams Change Reality?". The New York Times.
  9. ↑ Murray, Noel (October 23, 2018). "Review: Dreary mystery 'Don't Go' sticks to the beaten path". Los Angeles Times.
  10. ↑ Reed, Rex (October 26, 2018). "Stephen Dorff's Dump Truck of a New Movie Is Aptly Titled 'Don't Go'". The New York Observer.
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