Let Go (2024) Movie Review – A film about what it takes to be a family

A film about what it takes to be a family

Families are messy, and this messiness is also reflected in the chaotic history of its meaning. The word “family” is rooted in the Latin terms familia and famulus, which translate to “slaves of the household” and simply “slaves.”

Amusingly, this origin couldn’t be more fitting, especially when we think about its relationship with the idea of parenthood. More often than not, in countless cultures across many countries, the weight of being the “household’s slave” often falls heaviest on mothers, who bear the unending demands and perform the quiet sacrifices that make a home function. Josephine Bornebusch’s latest drama film Let Go showcases this ordeal in the most realistic and empathetic manner.

Let Go follows the lives of exhausted parents and individuals, Stella and Gustav. While Gustav is tired of their marriage and asks for a divorce, Stella has been quietly performing all the familial duties and filling in the gap created by Gustav’s absent presence in the family.

However, she refuses to get a divorce and pushes for a two-week family trip so their daughter Anna can participate in a pole-dancing competition. What follows is a tense journey that eventually leads to healing, heavy conversations, acceptance, and growth for all the members of the family.

The film is relatable and explores the ideas of partnership, parenthood, dysfunctional relationships, and what it takes to hold a family together, along with how meaningful conversation and empathy can make a difference.

The characters are extremely relatable, realistic, and flawed, accentuated by the remarkable performances of the cast. Stella and Gustav, played by Josephine Bornebusch (also the writer and director) and Pål Sverre Hagen, are outstanding in their portrayal of each character, and it is their performances that help us empathize with the miserable couple.

From the beginning, the film embodies a somber, melancholic tone that eventually builds to its bittersweet ending with the core message spoken by Stella in one of the scenes: while Gustav can divorce her, he cannot divorce their children.

More than showcasing happy family dynamics, Let Go highlights what it really means to be a family—it’s a lot of work, a lot of sacrifices, and sometimes there aren’t many happy endings, yet the family stays together.

Since the film is written, directed, and Stella’s character is played by Josephine Bornebusch, one of the stronger themes of the trials of motherhood shines through with a message for all those families where mothers are silently sacrificing their all to keep the fire that holds everybody together alive. The ending testifies to the sad reality for many families.

Let Go also showcases nuances that build and add to its many themes. One such instance is when Gustav mentions divorce, and immediately, at a distance, their son Manne exclaims that “it’s not working.” Stella then goes over and fixes Manne’s problem, adding, “Okay, you see now? It’s working,” highlighting the effort that goes into solving issues in every relationship. It’s not impossible, but it needs work.

The film is also funny at times, despite its sombre undertones, especially with the running joke about pole dancing as striptease, and it is equally heartwarming with one man deciding to close his eyes during the performance so he can still be supportive of his loved ones despite his personal discomfort.

Overall, the film leaves us with a bittersweet ending that encourages self-introspection and conveys the message that meaningful conversations and a healthy dose of empathy are often all we need to resolve most interpersonal problems in our lives. And it’s not as crazy, lovable and eccentric as Little Miss Sunshine (2006)  but it does, extremely vaguely, resemble it.