Run

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Aneesh Chaganty's Searching was enough to add its debutant director-screenwriter to my list of "filmmakers to follow closely". Run solidifies Chaganty's place in Hollywood as one of the most technically impressive directors working today. His undeniable talent allows him to effortlessly generate incredible suspense throughout the movie's entire runtime, and his second feature-film is no exception.

Possessing the type of premise I enjoy the most in thrillers, Chaganty and Sev Ohanian's screenplay is packed with excruciatingly long takes, filled with extremely tense dialogues, shocking developments, and a brutal amount of pain. All are enormously elevated by one of the most physically-demanding, emotionally powerful performances I've seen in the last few years: Kiera Allen, who uses a wheelchair for mobility in real-life, turns her acting debut into a genuine, realistic display of the challenging obstacles people with her condition have to overcome daily.

Sarah Paulson continues her trend of playing truly evil characters, and I advise her to keep following this dark path of phenomenal interpretations. Her interactions with Kiera are remarkably intense. Story-wise, even though the constant revelations are narratively shocking, most of the script's developments are somewhat predictable. However, the "movie logic" problems stretch believability to a point beyond my limit, ultimately becoming one of those films people will either deeply enjoy or really hate depending on how nitpicky they choose to be.

I'm as moderate as I can be, and the truth is, I didn't really think about these logical issues during the actual viewing. Having in mind Run's brilliant technical attributes (notably Nick Johnson and Will Merrick's editing, and Torin Borrowdale's score), its two impressive lead performances, and its endless suspenseful atmosphere, I can't help but recommend it to every fan of the genre.

Rating: B+

I watched a lot of movies and it had been a long time (over the pandemic year/s) since I have seen such a gripping thriller involving a family. In Run, a mother and a daughter's relationship starts to strain when the latter suspects her mother is doing ill on her. As you continue to guess what it might be, Run takes you by surprise. It delivers the goods and it keeps you hooked till the last second. Go, watch it already!