Tribeca Festival 2024 Review: “Don’t You Let Me Go” – A Tale of Magical Realism!

Magical realism is an element in film that seems to have dwindled to make room for more extravagant worlds and heroes.This may be because striking a balance between adult drama and “fantasy” magic seems to contradict the tone some filmmakers may be trying to create. Films like Beasts of the Southern Wild, About Time, and A Monster Calls have been able to blend heart-wrenching emotion with fantastical elements beautifully and are great examples as to how powerful these types of stories can be.

Related – Tribeca Festival 2024 Review: “Hunters on a White Field”

Don’t You Let Me Go opens with a funeral for Elena (Victoria Jorge), a young woman who died way too soon. Her family and friends mourn her loss, already disappointed by the energy of the service and how it does not reflect her infectious nature. Upon leaving the funeral, her best friend Adela (Chiara Hourcade) finds a large bus parked in front of her car, only to board it and discover it has taken her back in time to a beautiful weekend getaway to share one last time with Elena.

Directors Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge have crafted a film that succeeds in feeling authentic to grief and female friendship, even if it feels a little too short and straightforward in its execution. Don’t You Let Me Go explores a true to life portrayal of loss and how even the most simple activities done with loved ones leaves a lasting impact. We watch Elena and Adela read detective novels on the beach, ride bikes, make sandwiches, and engage in playful discussions. What may seem like mundane activities make them both smile just to be in each other’s company, the way you would with a close brother or sister.

Guevara and Jorge never feel the need to create climactic moments that test their friendship or explain why Elena’s passing may have a greater impact on Adela at her point in time. Instead it shows that sometimes the death of a loved one is simply sad because of how routine life seems with them until it isn’t. Their presence removed from a life you built together is one of the most devastating parts of grief.

The magical experience the film paints remains slightly underutilized, however. The film expressed how vibrant and joyous Elena was through its cinematography and lighting. There were small fantastical moments such as the magic bus, Adela pouring out sand from her shoe that never seemed to end, and a disappearance out of thin air while dancing.

Given the film was trying to exhibit Elena’s shining and childlike persona, using more magical elements in its storytelling and filmmaking would have driven this point home. Not to mention the joy as an audience member watching adults be able to bask in a fantasy world. This would have been able to paint a brighter picture through its storytelling and creative choices.

Don’t You Let Me Go portrays female friendship in a much more light-hearted and calm way. It feels a lot more based in reality than the portrayal we get of female comradery in popular films today that possess a party hard and largely extroverted nature. Ana Guevara & Leticia Jorge know that the majority of the moments we share with friends are the ones where you don’t need to be doing extravagant activities but just being with one another is enough. Don’t You Let Me Go struggles to maximize its potential in the magical realism genre but it does possess some sweet qualities.

‘Don’t You Let Me Go’ Rating – 2.5/5

Follow Steph (the Author) on IG – @cinemasteph_7