Don’t Let Go

As a murder mystery with a science-fiction twist, Don’t Let Go feels like an original concept trying to escape from a formulaic framework.

As its mildly compelling tale of murder and time travel unspools, a handful of logical inconsistencies make it difficult to put the pieces together — although it’s unlikely you’ll care enough anyway.

The story centers on Jack (David Oyelowo), a Los Angeles detective who looks out for his precocious teenage niece, Ashley (Storm Reid), whenever things get turbulent in her family life. Still, nothing prepares Jack for discovering the grisly murders of Ashley and both of her parents.

Grief-stricken Jack feels guilty that he didn’t answer his phone shortly before Ashley’s death. But his chance at redemption comes when she calls him instead from beyond the grave, as though nothing had happened.

Amid his bewilderment, Jack deduces that Ashley’s calls are somehow coming from a few days before the tragedy, and that she doesn’t know her eventual fate. Jack can’t fill her in, though, until he figures out what actually happened, and therefore how they can prevent it, before time runs out.

The film might have generated more consistent suspense if the convoluted screenplay by director Jacob Estes (Mean Creek) was more coherent or grounded in reality. Instead, it employs gimmicks such as obvious red herrings and an aggressively foreboding score.

The performances inject life into a wobbly premise, offering another opportunity for Oyelowo (Selma) to showcase his versatility while Reid (A Wrinkle in Time) demonstrates an ability to transition into more adolescent portrayals.

In particular, Oyelowo conjures sympathy while acting essentially by himself in several sequences spent on the phone. However, some talented actors such as Brian Tyree Henry and Alfred Molina are squandered in thankless smaller roles.

For those who buy into the central mystery and the supernatural inclinations, the script seems to make up the time-travel rules as it goes along, and some convoluted third-act twists cause the whole thing to fly off the rails.

As the evidence and clues accumulate, Don’t Let Go leaves too many unanswered questions. The result, whether in the past or present, is more frustrating than thrilling.

Rated R, 103 minutes.