In about fifteen minutes, Let Me Go (The Right Way) encapsulates an entire feature length thriller. The team behind it are next-generation industry folks – the director is the child of Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, adapting a story from Stephen King’s son Owen King.  The film has a very “short story” vibe to it, but could easily be expanded out.

Aiden (Hopper Penn), a mentally ill vet, begins seeing therapist Dr. Kemp (Brian d’Arcy James) to get help, as his sense of reality is slipping. The film is named after a Supremes song, the single of which Aiden owns, but it has somehow changed – the label reads different now. The color of his belt buckle is different; the size of a pickle jar changes. He could be experiencing psychosis, delusions, or something else, OR, something could be happening to him.  Stephen King (Owen’s dad), after all, says the highest level of terror is everything in your home replaced by an exact replica. Aiden sees the little differences and thinks the world is shifting under him.  Dr. Kemp prescribes pills and beer. The people at his work have started calling him “Paul,” he keeps seeing a strange woman on the bus who tells him “Don’t take the pills. They make the world lie.”

The film seems to ask the question, “Is Aiden crazy, or are these things really happening?” A twist that I shall not reveal here (sorry – no spoilers – it’s short, go watch it!), reveals what is actually happening and resolves the situation in a fascinating, organic and effective way. The performances are solid, with Penn and D’Arcy James playing patient and therapist effectively, leaving us unsure which one is the truly disturbed one.  The cinematography is also effective for a low-budget film, although the scenes in Penn’s office and the operating room can be a bit dark.  Let Me Go (The Right Way) is a short, fun, effective ride.