Run (2020)
(Netflix Streaming, October 2021) I’ve been watching many underwhelming or mediocre thrillers lately, and just as I was thinking that I was becoming overly jaded, here comes Run to remind me of what works in a thriller. It does begin with a striking image, that of a newborn being revived by doctors. It doesn’t get any less troubling in the next few moments, as the showy direction portends much worse to come, but then we skip to years later, in an isolated rural house, where a bright young disabled homeschooled teenager is waiting for her college admission letters and wondering how she’ll fare once out of her comfortable environment. Alas, this is when various incidents and odd bits of information have her questioning what her mother is doing to prevent her from ever leaving. The twist in store for us is not that original (and poses vexing questions about some of what we see early in the film), but the way of getting there is a thrill ride. It starts with a likable protagonist: Kiera Allen is a revelation as the protagonist, whose bright and likable nature gets stronger in each scene. There’s obviously a mystery running thought Run, as our protagonist, once kept carefully ignorant in her domestic bubble, starts discovering more and more unsettling revelations about the pills she gets and the circumstances of her early life. There’s a bravura sequence in which she escapes to get an answer from a pharmacy that cleverly shows the balance of suspense, pacing and occasional dark humour that the film manages to create. Writer-director Aneesh Chaganty finds a good balance between showy and straightforward direction and has fun playing with his own script (co-written by Sev Ohanian, who co-wrote another recent hit with Searching). Sarah Paulson is suitably kind and menacing in the role of the mother. It all ends with a very nice final sequence, further cementing the film’s success as a thriller. A modest but confident thriller, Run is a nice surprise even for jaded viewers.