Run

Starring: Sarah Paulson, Kiera Allen, Pat Healy, Sharon Bajer
Directed by: Aneesh Chaganty
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
2020

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A home-schooled teenager (Kiera Allen) begins to suspect her mother is keeping a life-changing secret from her.

Review:

Tim: I feel like it's been quite a while since I watched a thriller like this. To some extent, that was refreshing and exciting. On the other hand, I remembered why these movies are so hard to pull off. To tell a story like this requires some suspension of disbelief. However, in pursuit of more thrills, it's far too easy to push the boundaries of credulity too far. That's what happens here. Run has a lot of flaws. However, Annesh Chaganty has experience delivering these kinds of movies. While this one isn't as effective as Searching, it still gets the job done. I'd consider this a solid movie.

I thought the basic premise was ridiculous but riveting. It'll be a bit difficult to explain while minimizing spoilers, but I'll try. A girl begins to suspect her mother is harboring a deadly secret. In its simplest terms, that's a fairly engaging, exciting idea. What adds to this is how isolated they are from the rest of the world. They live apart and have almost no visitors, besides the mailman. So now, you have an isolated girl convinced her mother is lying about something. What takes this to the next level is that she uses a wheelchair for mobility. Now, we're getting somewhere really interesting. While the character is more than capable, her mobility challenge requires her to depend more on her mother than she otherwise might. The stage is set for some really intense sequences. Now, the story itself, especially once it all comes to light, is a bit much. I wouldn't say the film does a great job of selling it. It requires a lot of forgiveness to go with it. I was mostly able to do this, so I could reasonably enjoy the movie. I do acknowledge that other viewers may not be able to suspend their disbelief, which will greatly decrease the quality of the movie in their estimation. And they'd have a fair point. Still, an isolated wheelchair-bound teenager suspects her mother of hiding something monumental? I'm definitely there for that.

What really helps the movie is the cast. It's sparse, but Sarah Paulson and Kiera Allen don't need many other people involved. Paulson has always been such an underrated and overlooked actress. She's really talented. She does great work here. She may stray into over-the-top territory a bit, but her character is fascinating and she has fun sinking her teeth into this complicated human being. She shows a lot of emotion as the movie goes on and becomes a force to reckon with. Her performance absolutely elevates this movie. I wish she'd shown a bit more restraint in a few parts, but overall, she's great. I loved the performance of Kiera Allen. Allen is young, but shows a lot of maturity in her performance. She is simultaneously strong and vulnerable. We absolutely make a strong emotional connection to her character early on, which ratchets up the tension once the movie hits its stride. She was quite enjoyable and works well opposite Paulson. I sincerely hope we see more of her in the future.

Chaganty doesn't waste much time with Run. It's a tightly wound, 90 minute thriller. It's intense and exciting. There's some terrific scenes- the drug store one is a standout, as is the scene on the roof. That was really the highlight of the film for me. It's terrific, beautifully shot, and hold-your-breath intense. After that, the movie does feel like it unwinds a little. The movie really stumbles when it finally explains the whole backstory. I audibly groaned at the ludicrous, convenient way the girl finally discovers the whole truth. It simply makes no logical sense for it to happen like this. This really hurts the movie. It felt like lazy writing and an easy shortcut. The conclusion of the movie isn't as intense as some of the earlier scenes, so it doesn't end on a powerful note. There's a final hit at the end of the film that might divide viewers. I liked it for the most part, but it didn't seem as epic as the film thought it was.

So, yes, Run is a flawed but enjoyable movie. I had a fun time watching it and while it won't be the first thriller that comes to mind as a recommendation (it's much easier to recommend Searching), it was a worthwhile sophomore effort from writer/director Aneesh Chaganty. He's absolutely someone to keep our eyes on. My hope is that he learns from this movie and his next one is even better.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Searching, Misery, Bird Box