Run; Grade: B
Run tells a story about a mother named Diane (Sarah Paulson) and a daughter Chloe (Kiera Allen), whom live a fairly comfortable life despite all the heartache and trouble Diane has been through during the early goings of motherhood. Chloe as of lately feels suspicious of her mother, as it appears she is keeping a dark secret from Diane regarding her condition and some other things. Witness Chloe discover her mothers darkest secret, in this suspenseful thriller.
The Cinematography looked pretty good, it’s a well shot film as it plays close attention to detail, providing some memorable haunting shots especially the opening shot consisting of the new born baby. The Score was solid, it compliments the tone of this film. The cast all in all I thought were solid as a whole. Sarah Paulson playing Diane played a pretty good performance, as this what was once a loving mother, turns out to be a complete psychopath. Sarah Paulson does compliments the disturbing weird nature of this character, as you do feel unsettled in many scenes that consist of her. I thought Kiera Allen playing the daughter Chloe played a pretty good performance as well, as she delivered especially in intense and emotional sequences in this film. As a protagonist I enjoyed Chloe, she’s a promising young gal whom has a high future and is intelligent, but is trapped from succeeding her full potential.
There are a couple flaws with Run. One being some logic issues following the third act. I do want to point out some logic issues are excuse-able, however there is this one logic issue that sticks out like a sore thumb, as I really don’t understand why Diane would do such a thing?! I won’t spoil it or anything, but Diane is basically in the clear, so why go through all this trouble?! It could be due to attachment issues, but at the same time... There’s really no reason for all this, she got what she wanted now just be a normal mother, doesn’t make much sense. I also hated the extended ending, as I thought it was ridiculously corny and unnecessary. Like it was so damn goofy, kind of reminded me of what happened with Unsane at the end... Can suspense thrillers stop with the goofy endings?!
Run was supposed to be released in theaters back in May of 2020, as it was going to be a big deal following Mother’s Day weekend. But of course: That pain in the ass came around and didn’t want us to have fun on Mother’s Day, so it got moved to Hulu. I actually didn’t know this film was dropping on Hulu to be honest, I did however see it premiered at a virtual film festival not too long ago, as I thought I’d miss out on Run till 2021. But then I saw it on the “This Weeks Releases” on Rotten Tomatoes, as I was happy it was coming out. The film maker behind Run, brought us a great thriller mystery suspense with Searching back in 2018. I gotta say: Aneesh Chaganty is two for two, this was dope.
The story was well written, as it when comes to originality, while executing a suspenseful atmosphere... It does all the right things. I mean the tension is all there at several occasions, it’s quite a thrill ride as it does bring a vibe in which you are on the edge of your seat. Of course whack jobs are nothing new when it comes to thrillers, but it’s worth noting how this story is told is actually different, even if it is inspired by a film or two. The simplicity of the film is also effective, as it doesn’t do too much as it gets to the point. Run is honestly a fun enjoyable thriller, that’ll surely be heavily praised from the common family member or the common social media member.
Overall, Run is a solid film. I recommend checking this one out on Hulu, it’s definitely fun. I wish Run was shown in the theater as this was much better suited in the theatre atmosphere... But hey beggars can’t be choosers, at least it was release. -Mitch Smietana