Halle Berry stars in Never Let Go, a horror film which takes on theme of generational trauma

In one of the first horror films she has starred in in years, Academy Award winner Halle Berry says she drew upon her own experiences as a mother for her role in Alexandre Aja’s Never Let Go.

The actress says the fact that the film grapples with the theme of generational trauma drew her to the part. “That’s what interested me about it”, she said. ”It’s not just a psychological thriller or a horror film. It’s really about the cycle of generational trauma and how if we don’t sort of get healed, we just pass it along and along.”

The film’s dark content made for a challenging acting process, but it’s one that Berry’s co-stars took in their stride. “I do love the challenge,” said Anthony B. Jenkins, who plays Berry’s character’s son. ”They sent me the whole script. I read the whole thing. I was like, this is it’s not really just about a thriller. It’s not really just about a family trying to stay away from the bad. It’s really about the love of the family”.

The film premiers in most cinemas late September, in a handful of countries including Brazil and Spain in October, before it is released in Turkey in December.