Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Never Let Go!Never Let Go leaves some ambiguity about the truth of Momma’s experiences with The Evil, including whether a girl who died in the forest was real or a manifestation of the haunting spirit. Early on in Halle Berry’s horror movie, her character tells her two sons the story of a time when a woman was stranded in the nearby woods due to an injury. The woman repeatedly called out for help, but Momma refused to help her, believing that she was another form taken by Never Let Go‘s The Evil. Momma let the girl die, thinking she overcame that temptation.
A moment that Momma views as a sign of her strength and opposition to The Evil becomes more questionable as Never Let Go‘s ending approaches and unfolds. The movie thoroughly explores how The Evil haunts her and her boys, and there are noticeable differences in those instances compared to Momma’s story of the girl in the woods. It’s even confirmed that Berry’s character killed her mother, father, and husband to try and stay safe from The Evil. Those details combined could leave questions about whether the girl Momma let die was actually real or a legitimate form of The Evil.
Never Let Go’s Modern Setting Hints That The Girl Was Real
Humanity Was Not Wiped Out Like Momma Believed
Originally, Momma’s story of the girl in the woods who died was a form of The Evil, which seemed believable based on the 2024 horror movie‘s proposed setting. She tells her kids that the world ended because of The Evil, leading them to believe that they are the only ones left alive. That makes her claim that the girl who died over the course of several days and whose body turned blue and rotted away was The Evil appear more believable. However, Never Let Go‘s ending confirms that humanity is still thriving beyond the woods in a modern setting.
Thanks to the introduction of the hiker Sam kills and the EMS team that rescues Sam and Nolan, Never Let Go makes it clear that there are other humans who have no connection to The Evil. The hiker is specifically important here, as his arrival proves that people regularly hike in these woods. That very well could explain the presence of the girl in the red coat who got injured. She could have been a hiker who legitimately needed help, only for Momma to let her die, fearing that she was The Evil.
The Evil’s Forms In Never Let Go Further Suggest The Girl Who Died Was Real
The Evil Always Looks Like Someone You Know
Another indication that Never Let Go‘s girl in the forest was real comes with how The Evil is portrayed in the movie. The film makes it clear that The Evil is very specific in its forms, either occupying an animal form or looking like a human who the spirit’s intended target recognizes instead of taking the appearance of random people like the girl in the woods. That is why The Evil commonly looks like Momma’s mother or husband. It only takes the form of the hiker’s daughter after Sam finds the picture of her in her father’s wallet.
There is no indication in the movie that Momma knew a woman who looked like her. It would then not make sense for The Evil to take this form. As a result, it appears Momma let an innocent girl die in the woods even though she desperately could have used her help in Never Let Go. It is somewhat understandable why Momma would think The Evil would do this to try and get her guard down, but it goes against everything else she and the movie convey about the spirit.
Momma Letting The Girl In The Forest Die Connects To Never Let Go’s Themes
Halle Berry’s Character Only Wants To Protect Her Family
If the girl Momma let die was real in Never Let Go as deduced, this part of Momma’s backstory becomes a great example of the movie’s larger themes and ideas. Halle Berry’s character is ultimately motivated to do one thing: keep her and her sons safe from The Evil. She understands that the spirit is very much real and is trying to bring about the death of her entire family. That’s why she fears leaving the house or letting go of the rope. That extends to not fully trusting her sons if she is given the slightest reason not to.
Momma was paralyzed by the worry that The Evil would one day get her and outsmart her
That makes the girl who died in the forest a casualty of Momma’s fear and paranoia in Never Let Go. Momma was paralyzed by the worry that The Evil would one day get her and outsmart her, and she closed herself off from the outside world as a result. If she hadn’t, she would have been able to help save someone’s life instead of being the reason why they died. But since Momma is quite clearly okay with people dying if that means protecting her and her kids, that was never something she was going to do.
The Evil might be real, but she was still super paranoid about it and didn’t trust anyone, including this girl. So she let an innocent person die because of her fear
