Run

UK Release Date. 2 April 2021
Certification. 15
Running Time. 1 hour 30 mins
Director. Aneesh Chaganty
Cast. Kiera Allen, Pat Healy, Sarah Paulson.
Rating. 52%

Review.

Aneesh Chaganty's sophomore feature, Run is a tense and taut tale of obsessive maternal codependency. Sarah Paulson plays the mother, Diane, who has spent the past 17 years as the sole caregiver to her daughter, Chloe (Kiera Allen). Chloe is paralysed from the waist down, diabetic and asthmatic, as well as suffering from serious heart and skin conditions. 

The unexpected joy with Run is that it's barely 30 minutes in when it plays its - admittedly highly predictable - hand. Other directors may have been tempted to pad out the exposition, but Chaganty abruptly blindsides the audience with a revelation that immediately darkens the tone of the film.

In some ways, Run is defined by two extreme performances. Sarah Paulson is doing what she does best - a deranged force of nature. However, while psychotic is effortless, Paulson struggles to convince as a caring, nurturing and overprotective parent. However, newcomer Kiera Allen excels and delivers a powerful performance in her film debut. In a physically and emotionally challenging role, Allen is able convey a believability that outstrips her more experienced co-star.

Whilst Run might not demonstrate the same innovation of his debut feature, Searching - there are obvious comparisons with Rob Reiner's Misery - the film is nonetheless a solid thriller that refuses to let the audience settle. With a lean runtime of 90 minutes, Run wastes little time in setting up its premise and remains gripping throughout.