Is the film being truthful with you?
How do you interpret whats going on?
Did what you saw actually happen?
Halle Berry stars in the new horror thriller, Never Let Go.© Lionsgate
If so, what does that mean?
If they dont, the Evil will take them.
Is that actually true?
Aja and co-star Anthony B. Jenkins inNever Let Go. Photo: Liane Hentscher/ Courtesy of Lionsgate
Or is mom crazy and just making her kids believe what she wants them to believe?
Clearly marked spoilers follow a few more general questions.
I wanted to not give all the keys.
All the elements are here.
I mean, all the clues are in the movie.
But you’re gonna wanna connect them.
There is a proactive request from the audience to be able to build up the story.
And we had much more, of course, during production.
First, we tried a cut with no explanation whatsoever and then we gave way too much.
Because when you come to see this pop in of movie, you bring everything that youve seen before.
So you have expectations.
So your mind goes, Oh, I know where its going.
But its my path to play with that and just keep moving and moving so subvert the expectation.
io9: This is probably a stupid question but how long were the ropes?
Do you have an idea of how long the ropes were?
And was there ever a thought about them being more careful about exactly where they walked?
Because a lot of times I was thinking Just go around the tree another way!
Aja:The rope walk was a very tricky thing but its a hundred yards of rope.
And if you tie all of them together, you have like 300 yards.
Thats the limit to get to the road.
But they had to learn how to walk in the forest and to carry that rope.
Because when you leave and the rope unfolds, thats great.
But when you come back, you’re gonna wanna roll it up.
And a hundred yards of rope is very, very heavy.
So it was like tricky and we didnt cheat.
io9: Oh wow.
Another thing I like about the movie is how you might interpret it in so many ways.
How much did you talk about how open-ended the initial intention was?
Aja:When I read it, it was a very clear interpretation for me.
I really wanted to keep that open.
io9: Which is so different from most of your other movies.
Usually there are a lot more crocodiles in the water.
Its usually very visceral.
Did you have to hold back into your filmmaking instincts with this?
Aja:Of course, every story dictates the way were going to approach it.
I knew that for this specific one, I couldnt use the same technique that I used onCrawl.
Its not the same topic.
Its much more psychologically layered.
So I wanted to give this kind of open canvas so people can see and project different things.
Its the line She loves me more.
Did he say it?
Did the Evil say it?
[That] is whats running through Nolans mind.
Is there jealousy between the two brothers?
But at the end, when it comes, its clear that hes saying it.
So its clear that Samuel went full tilt on the other side.
Did not having a specific answer to that impact the movie at all?
And do you have in your mind a specific answer?
Aja:My answer is its as real as much as you want to believe in.
Its the belief that makes it real.
Is it real in an objective way?
And this is a big spoiler but personally, I dont think so.
Because in that case, why would a rope protect you from it?
Its really about faith.
Its really about what you believe.
Personally, I think its really like the darkness thats inside them.
Hes going to start doing the work.
While his brother will not be able to do that.
io9: We do see a hand in the photo though.
So I read the ending a different way.
Aja:Its a movie.
Its a fairy tale.
Or is it a way for Kubrick to say it was in hell from the beginning?
I think thats [up for] interpretation.
Of course, it also works if you say, Okay, its real.
Its about what you believe.
Never Let Gois now in theaters.
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