Aneesh Chaganty had a heck of a directorial debut with 2018’s Searching. There was risk in making a full-length feature film through the eyes of a computer screen. In many hands this film could have been incredibly gimmicky and fallen flat, but it managed to be a compelling thriller. 2020’s Run is no different. While the premise may not be as gimmicky, it uses the main character’s disabilities as a focal point of the film. What could be construed as an offensive and in poor taste (I think? Everyone gets offended by everything these days), it actually comes off as incredibly clever and makes for a thrilling 90 minutes of movie.
Sarah Paulson is good in this, but Kiera Allen is great. Not only is she stretched to show a whole range of emotions in this short film, she also had to do some impressive stunt work. She grew to become a very sympathetic character throughout, and a large part of that had to do with her performance.
It’s hard to talk about this film without going into spoilers, so there’s not much else I can say about it. I love that Chaganty continues to pump out such clever films, and I hope he can keep it up. I don’t think the ending really keeps up with the rest of the suspenseful buildup, but it’s a forgivable minor hiccup considering the rest of it was very enjoyable. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, and is paced well so that you’re not bored at all. Definitely excited to see the flourishing of a special upcoming director in Chaganty.
Grade: B+/82
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