It’s impossible to miss the familial chemistry between David Oyelowo and Storm Reid in the duo’s new supernatural thriller Don’t Let Go.
Directed by Jacob Aaron Estes, the film follows officer Jack Radcliff (Oyelowo) who’s struggling to deal with the murder of his family, when he begins receiving phone calls from his dead niece (Reid).
Oyelowo says he initially took the role because, as a father, he related to the message of a man willing to do anything to save his family. But when casting who’d play his niece, the actor look no further than Reid.
“I had the privilege of visiting the set of A Wrinkle in Time that my dear friend Ava DuVernay was directing,” Oyelowo told ESSENCE. “That was the first time I’d seen Storm in person and seen her work. I was very impressed by her talent, by her surety. She was very natural. That chemistry we had was also born out of a real love.”
Reid’s turn in Don’t Let Go also comes hot on the heels of a major summer for the actress. She’s made appearances in two of the season’s notable projects, Euphoria and When They See Us.
Having grown up in front of the camera, the actress says she aware of her platform and tries to be intentional about the projects she chooses.
“I try to pick very impactful roles and films to be a part of,” Reid said. “Whether that’s as an actress or a director down the line, I want to work on projects that have a message. I, thankfully, don’t have to do projects just to do them.”
Check out Oyelowo and Reid in Don’t Let Go when it arrives in theaters Friday, August 30.
