Run: Movie Review
Colder weather means more movie watching, I guess! Cause, here I am, back with another review!
I also have some newsletter news -- as if I haven't plugged it enough yet! I have mentioned that "Gemini Syndrome" is one of my favourite pieces of fiction I've written. Well, I plan on giving away a copy of the beautiful Strange Lands Short Fiction in January (assuming I have received my hard copies from the UK based distributor by then, of course!)
This review is, as per usual, spoiler-free, so go on then. Go. Scoot. Read on.
The Movie
Run is a 2020 horror movie, which was directed by Aneesh Chaganty and written by Chaganty and Sev Ohanian. The film stars Kiera Allen and one of my favourite actresses: Sarah Paulson. Run was released in November on Hulu.
Originally, Run was scheduled to be released by Lionsgate in May of this year, to line up with Mother's Day weekend. Due to COVID, however, it was pulled from the schedule and in August 2020, Hulu acquired distribution rights to the film.
The film centers around a mother (Diane) and daughter (Chloe). Chloe is bound to a wheelchair and suffers from a variety of illnesses, but is also super talented at engineering and is waiting for an acceptance letter from a college. On the surface, this duo seems pretty wholesome, but then cracks begin to appear in their lives. Chloe notices an unfamiliar medication in her regiment and that her mom never lets her get to the mail first. Growing suspicious, Chloe starts to wonder if her dear mother is keeping a dark secret from her.
Fun fact: this is Kiera Allen's debut film!
The Review
I really enjoyed this film! I did guess part of the ending, but there was still a twist waiting for me -- which I appreciated. Kiera Allen and Sarah Paulson made quite the power duo, creating a palpable tension and dark realism to the film. It really had all the right components for a satisfying horror thriller -- mystery, twists, turns, surprises, and heart-wrenching revelations.
As the daughter, Kiera Allen, gives an incredible performance as a woman who, despite suffering from illnesses, never gives off the image that she is truly helpless. Even in the face of one of the scariest reveals of the movie, she doesn't back down. Then Sarah Paulson manages the perfect combo of terrifying, creepy, and (oddly) heartbreaking performance as the woman who just wants to mother.
Overall, Run was fast paced, filled with tension and nail-biting moments, and a macabre ending -- a perfect film to watch, snuggled up on your couch, while the winter wind howls past your windows!
9/10
x P.L. McMillan