The Runner (2026) Movie Review: Run, Rinse, Repeat
Watching someone run around for almost 90 minutes doesn't exactly sound like a good time. But if 2025's The Running Man proved anything, it's that a movie built around running can still be intense and entertaining. The Runner however lacks the creativity and imagination to make its premise work. The film feels like a slog and completely devoid of the high-stakes tension it desperately needs. Things happen, surprises are revealed, and the stakes are constantly raised but do we really care? Even as a mindless time-waster, there are better ways to spend your time.
Attorney Maia Martin (Gal Gadot) always goes for a run after taking her son to school and before heading to work. Today is a particularly important day as her star witness is set to testify against a powerful crime boss. During her run, Maia receives a call from an unknown person who reveals that her son, Noah (Rory Wilmot), has been kidnapped. To save him, she must race across London and kill her witness within an hour.
You might assume that Gal Gadot's performance is the biggest problem with The Runner. While her stiff and stilted delivery certainly doesn't help, there are far bigger issues with the film. The biggest problem for us is the writing. The narrative is barebones and straightforward but it's also riddled with sloppy decisions and logical loopholes. The big revelation toward the end is certainly a surprise but for all the wrong reasons. For a film centered around something as grounded and physical as running, far too many events unfold in ways that feel completely farcical and unbelievable.
The script doesn't help either. The Runner is filled with ridiculous one-liners that had us laughing and shaking our heads at the same time. There's a scene in a church near the middle of the film that perfectly captures the film's inability to take its own premise seriously in the right way. Instead of building tension, moments like these repeatedly pull us out of the story and further push the silliness of the whole experience. Then there's the repetition. We lost count of how many times Maia had to steal something, run away from her latest obstacle, and repeat the process. What might have worked once or twice quickly becomes the film's default way of moving the story forward. By the third or fourth time, it becomes less thrilling and more laughable.
And that's ultimately the problem with The Runner. It has a simple premise that could have made for a tense and entertaining thriller, but the weak writing, unbelievable plot developments, repetitive action, and lack of emotional stakes constantly work against it. The film keeps running but it never really gets anywhere.
The Runner (2026) Movie Review: Run, Rinse, Repeat
You might assume that Gal Gadot's performance is the biggest problem with The Runner. While her stiff and stilted delivery certainly doesn't help, there are far bigger issues with the film. The biggest problem for us is the writing. The narrative is barebones and straightforward but it's also riddled with sloppy decisions and logical loopholes. The big revelation toward the end is certainly a surprise but for all the wrong reasons. For a film centered around something as grounded and physical as running, far too many events unfold in ways that feel completely farcical and unbelievable.
The script doesn't help either. The Runner is filled with ridiculous one-liners that had us laughing and shaking our heads at the same time. There's a scene in a church near the middle of the film that perfectly captures the film's inability to take its own premise seriously in the right way. Instead of building tension, moments like these repeatedly pull us out of the story and further push the silliness of the whole experience. Then there's the repetition. We lost count of how many times Maia had to steal something, run away from her latest obstacle, and repeat the process. What might have worked once or twice quickly becomes the film's default way of moving the story forward. By the third or fourth time, it becomes less thrilling and more laughable.
And that's ultimately the problem with The Runner. It has a simple premise that could have made for a tense and entertaining thriller, but the weak writing, unbelievable plot developments, repetitive action, and lack of emotional stakes constantly work against it. The film keeps running but it never really gets anywhere.
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