No Running (2021 Tribeca Film Festival); Grade: C
Strictly Films welcomes you back to more coverage of this year's 2021 Tribeca Film Festival! Our next film on the block: No Running.
No Running tells a story about a high school kid named Jaylen (Skylan Brooks), whom is living in a small town and working at a convenient store. Jaylen one night attended a party his sister wanted to go to, as Jaylen was having a swell time with friend Amira (Clark Backo). As the rain comes pouring down indicating a storm, Jaylen wants Amira to hurry and leave, but Amira went back to the water to retrieve an earring by the dock. As Jaylen rushes over to help and find her earring, a big beaming blue light comes striking down, as Jaylen is immediately pushed off to the water. But get this: Amira just vanishes, as she's gone as the beaming light could be the reason for this ordeal, as there is a possibility of... ALIENS!
We've been getting some kind of news on UFO's lately, so what better timing to have a UFO type of film?! No Running was passable for a movie, isn't bad nor is it good.
The story itself t'was fairly interesting, there's not really much of a dull moment with this one which most certainly helps. I felt how Jaylen was written was fairly done as a character, one whom is troubled due to the problems in the past, regarding his mother and step father's unhealthy relationship. Jaylen always feels on edge like one in his situation should be, I mean it's quite traumatizing seeing your mother go through such a terrible situation. Sometimes with regards with Jaylen, not sure why he's known to be "problematic". He seems like a very quiet young kid, I understand he must've done something in the past, however it's justified due to his mothers situation so I felt he was misunderstood from this town.
No Running does however go through familiar tropes, one as a mystery sci-fi film goes through. Like the whole research scene, like come on I've seen it thousands of times before. There is a moment in this film, which makes me question Jaylen's choice making. So he has this important item pleading his innocence and also proving the UFO ordeal does exist. Jaylen gets a text from his friend, saying to meet me him up somewhere. 1. Why didn't Jaylen go back to the other characters house? 2. Why would Jaylen go meet up with his friend, knowing damn well he gave Jaylen such a hard time like maybe 15 hours ago?! Like his friend accused Jaylen of taking part of some wrong doing due to his friend's disappearance and even offends him regarding he thought he was different than his "people", yet Jaylen decides to forget all about that and think it's a good idea to meet up with his friend early in the morning?! Where is the logic behind that?! What follows after that scene not only make that scene irrelevant in a way, however he still doesn't go back to the other character's house, so what was the point in retrieving this item if it's not going to be in use for it's purpose?!
I do recall one sequence regarding a couple of cops, in which the acting and even the characters themselves we're extremely silly some. For a film that's going into a serious direction, this whole sequence was kind of bizarre. The finale of this film... Cool I guess?! Felt like a fitting end for this film in a way, just was something I likely expected and didn't get any surprises by it.
Overall, No Running was just ok. I would say just watch Vast of Night instead of this, but would a suitable watch at home. Hoped you like the cover image I chose, couldn’t find an image off IMDB like I normally do, so I chose to make my own -Mitch Smietana