Held (2020) Review

If you’re a fan of The Gallows and its sequel The Gallows: Act II, then you’re already familiar with Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing, the directing duo behind both films. Held is their latest offering, a tech-era tale of a long-standing marriage in trouble. It stars Jill Awbrey and Bart Johnson in the two leads and Rez Kempton, Zack Gold, Jener Dasilva, and Tessa Munro in small supporting roles. (Awbrey also penned the screenplay for the film.)

Held is the story of Henry and Emma Bennett. They’ve been married for nine years, but it quickly becomes apparent that their relationship has lost that spark. They decide to spend their anniversary at a remote holiday home in an effort to reconnect and decompress a little. The house is beautiful and equipped with everything a 21st century couple could want, including comprehensive security features and cutting-edge smart home technology. Naturally, it doesn’t take long for things to start going horribly awry.

After Emma and Henry worry the home may have been invaded by an intruder in the middle of the night, they attempt to leave only to discover the worst. They’re hopelessly trapped by the same technology that made this location so attractive in the first place. They’re also being watched by someone unseen – someone who won’t let them go free until they perform a series of stereotypical married couple tasks. Who is holding Emma and Henry captive and why? And do our couple have what it takes to make it through their ordeal alive?

Although The Gallows and its sequel were decent films for what they were, Held takes a hard left into much more profound, meatier territory right from the get-go. Jill Awbrey has penned a thought-provoking script that makes the most of a single setting and only two main actors (plus a disembodied voice). Held is free of many of the gimmicks that permeated the Gallows films, as well – like found footage and jump scares. Instead, it takes a Hitchcockian approach to the material, relying on good, old-fashioned suspense building instead.

Awbrey and Johnson both turn in compelling performances as the lead characters. The fact that the couple is older is also a solid choice from a storytelling standpoint. Of course, young people have problems of their own, but couples face deeper issues when they’ve been around the block a time or three. For instance, Emma is still suffering from the aftereffects of an assault she experienced when she was younger.

The viewer is also treated to the little details of her relationship with Henry over the course of the film, one tidbit at a time. It’s done in such a way that develops both characters beautifully while holding the viewer’s interest. It also adds much-needed depth to what might otherwise be forgotten as just another horror film about home invasion. You’re curious about these two, and you genuinely care what happens to them, almost as much as you care about the identity of the mysterious voice on the other end of the phone.

This isn’t to say Held is a perfect watch, though. Although the film’s attempt to address modern-day gender politics definitely keeps things interesting, it sometimes appears to take itself a little too seriously. When the reveal does finally come in the end, it’s satisfying, but also somewhat predictable. You don’t necessarily need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure it out relatively early on. However, these are minor complaints. Overall, Held is a worthwhile watch that commands your attention early and manages to hold it right up to the very end. It also shows some really promising progress for Lofing and Cluff as filmmakers and has genre fans everywhere excited about what they do next.

Style: Psychological, Home Invasion, New Release