Diksha Sundriyal
Starring Halle Berry, 2024’s ‘Never Let Go’ focuses on the survival of a woman, June, and her two sons, Sam and Nolan, who are restrained inside their house, outside which the Evil lurks. She has told them that the Evil has taken over the world, and they are the only ones left behind. This Evil, which only she can see, has a way of finding its way into a person’s body and mind, and once that happens, it makes people kill their loved ones. One of the things about the Evil is that it is only concerned with humans and doesn’t bother with animals, which seems like great news for their family dog, Koda. But things take a very dark turn as the events unfold. SPOILERS AHEAD
Koda Comes Very Close to Being Killed
One of the challenges of living by oneself in the wilderness is the lack of food. One has to hunt or forage for it, and when limited to a certain radius, there is only so much that one can find in the wilderness. While June and her sons try to grow their own food in the greenhouse, it is not enough to keep them going. Some years, the weather is kind enough, but one time, the winter gets so harsh that nothing grows. The family survives by eating frogs and whatnot, and with no animals in sight, there is barely anything left to hunt. Eventually, they run out of the food they had saved and have to resort to eating the bark of the trees. With no other option in sight, June puts forth the idea of killing Koda, the dog.
While Sam agrees with his mother, Nolan is horrified by the idea of killing a dog he loves like a family member. He begs his mother not to kill her, but she takes the dog to the greenhouse and is ready to shoot him, even though she seems to be conflicted about it herself. Luckily for the dog, Nolan decides to do something very, very bold. He cuts off his mother’s rope, which distracts her enough to let the dog run away, saving him from being killed and eaten up by the very family it so loyally protected all these years.
The dogs remains with the boys even after their mother dies, and his loyalty doesn’t end even after the entire house is burned down. At the end of the film, after a confrontation with the Evil, both the brothers are taken away by the authorities to the nearest town. While the boys are rescued, no one thinks about taking their dog along, which leaves poor Koda to run after the helicopter. The last we see of him is on the road, chasing after the boys he loves. Considering everything, it is a long journey ahead for the dog, who is already ten. As June put it, the dog is old, and his days are already numbered. Hopefully, he finds his family before dying. It would, at least, give Nolan a chance to say goodbye to the one for him he was ready to risk everything.
Read More: Never Let Go Ending, Explained: Was the Evil Real?
