By Josh Ball
Is there anything you would not do to save your child’s life? That is the question Maia Marten (Gal Gadot) is forced to answer in “The Runner.” Early on her morning run, the London prosecuting attorney receives a call from her son’s phone. The caller presents an ultimatum: one hour to run across the city and kill your star witness or I kill your son.
Everything about the film is amazing. The score is nearly perfect, the stakes are high, the viewer is challenged to think, and classic themes come through in a new way.
Gal Gadot puts to bed the lie that she cannot act. Throughout the movie, she brings to life the inner turmoil of someone given two terrible choices. Balancing that with the emotional heart of a mother who will stop at nothing to save her child is not an easy task. Gadot proves more than capable for the job. Anger, fear, guilt and sadness all play in her delivery with a perfect blend.
The only other major character is credited as “The Caller” (Damian Lewis). His portrayal of the character comes with little screentime, mostly monologuing through the phone, but Lewis brings a grandiosity scarcely to be matched. Every line drips with malice, but respect, a tricky combination delivered to perfection.
The Caller’s delight in the simple fact of committing a horrible act makes the viewer’s blood boil in a refreshing way. The true villain is back. Lewis and Gadot have great chemistry throughout the film. It makes the stakes feel much higher and more believable.
There are few tropes harder to execute than the mutually respected adversaries. This idea, when done well, is among the most compelling. Two people are set in opposition to each other, yet each carries a deep admiration for the other. This is how Maia and The Caller interact. The latter respects her as a self-made immigrant who reached the top of London’s law scene. Maia respects her son’s kidnapper more out of necessity, but still treats him without disdain. By the end of the film, the two reach the highest mark of this trope: they are beyond lying to one another.
The score works to raise tensions. Blending instrumentals with silent sections whose only sound is the bustle of a London street is perfect. When more is needed, the score is ready to fill in the gaps, but the haunting emptiness of a soundscape filled only with blended conversations and the honking of horns is properly eerie.
Scenes flip-flop between action-packed adventure and calm character work. One focuses on Maia’s run and the conflict it causes in the streets, the next slows down for a moment of dialogue between Maia and The Caller, before going back the next minute.
The result: a constant raising of the stakes which draws the viewer in and makes them worried for how the movie ends. Most importantly, it allows the mystery plotline to build towards a satisfying twist.
The action scenes combine all the iconic marks of action movies across the decades to create a unique 2020’s feel. From the transitions of the ‘80s to the blur of the ‘90s and 2000’s, these moments blend to create a new identifying mark of this generation and rarely feel corny.
The writers also take the time to bash the over-use of devices in our culture. Several times, The Caller makes a dig about how people never look up anymore. This makes obvious how he completes his goal while doubling down on the eerie nature of his seemingly endless knowledge and presenting a clear challenge to the watchers to put down their phones and pay attention.
The last twenty minutes send the characters off on an uncommonly positive note for Nihilistic Postmodern Hollywood. Also brilliantly executed is the grand reveal in the closing seconds. Confusion is cleared in a satisfying way that feels earned rather than cheap with clues which make it conducive to a rational mind.
“The Runner” is not for everyone. But for those who love great action-thrillers like “Taken” it marks a return to glory not seen since “John Wick.” Every part of the film was well executed from writing and music to character and acting. The only tragedy is that Tom Cruise missed the chance at an hour-long running scene.
Josh Ball is a senior history major. He is inspired to go on a run…
“The Runner” is streaming on Prime Video
Images courtesy of Amazon-MGM studios
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