Film Review – The Runner (2026)

      The Runner, 2026.

      Directed by Kevin Macdonald.

      Featuring Gal Gadot, Damian Lewis, Noah Wilmot, Phoenix Di Sebastiani, Alfred Enoch, Hélder Fernandes, and Kenton Lloyd Morgan.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A highly skilled attorney must navigate through London to rescue her kidnapped son while following cryptic instructions from a mysterious caller.

      It’s hard to overlook that, in Kevin Macdonald’s quasi-real-time thriller The Runner, Gal Gadot isn’t the most convincing actress, even when tasked with expressing emotions like worry and anger over her son’s abduction, where his life is leveraged against her as blackmail. The silver lining is that part of her performance hinges on the physical demands of running (sometimes jogging to catch her breath) while she follows the directions from an unidentified caller (whose presence is momentarily seen shrouded in darkness on a computer screen, portrayed by Damian Lewis) who manipulates her journey and takes control through access to her phone.

      In that regard, Gadot manages to deliver, but the frenzied editing disrupts her long trek across London, occasionally enhanced by the visual flair of cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (notably employing some techniques reminiscent of his collaboration with Danny Boyle on 28 Years Later, emphasizing how grueling this ordeal is on her body). However, the film’s geographical coherence often falters (it might be confusing even for locals), especially as the narrative contrivances pile obstacles in front of the protagonist.

      Based on a simplistic screenplay by Mark Gibson, Gal Gadot plays attorney Maia, who is compelled to rush across the city to reach a crucial witness (Phoenix Di Sebastiani) in a sexual assault/murder case, essentially needing to eliminate him before he can provide damning testimony against the client of Lewis’s hacker caller. One might expect that to be the story’s limit, yet the filmmakers frequently use downtime and nearly every dialogue exchange for that caller to elaborate on Maia’s backstory, accompanied by various clumsy elements.

      Additionally, there’s a clumsy attempt to communicate an anti-phone-and-technology message which, while well-intentioned, feels too heavy-handed and uninspired. At one point, the caller claims to know Maia better than she knows herself, which is not accurate, but given the plethora of personal information stored on her phone, he certainly has ample leverage. His knowledge ranges from her traumatic childhood and running achievements to her job, daily responsibilities, motherhood, conception details, and some conveniently PG-13 flirtations intended for a romantic interest, all ripe for manipulation.

      While Maia exhibits resourcefulness, it often seems limited to what the film permits rather than aligning with her character. She cleverly seeks out larger crowds to steal another phone (a recurring effort) to contact someone for assistance, but nearly every attempt falters, sometimes interrupted by the most clichéd moments, like stumbling and dropping the phone into a canal. This feels like typical movie-character folly.

      There are instances when the film either lacks confidence in its premise or realizes it may not suffice, even for a film that runs just 75 minutes without credits, forcing Maia into more intense and perilous scenarios aboard trains, bridges, and boats. Not only is this somewhat absurd, but it also confuses the geographical layout to the point where, even with sporadic full-screen GPS glimpses, it’s hard to ascertain her position relative to her goal. Unfortunately, at a certain juncture, the audience ceases to care.

      The Runner also gives off a feeling that it’s building toward some ridiculous twist at the end, although specifics remain unclear. However, the extent of the film's manipulation to reach that point is quite disappointing, leading to an unsatisfying climax. The villain and the trial case ultimately become irrelevant, and Maia herself embodies a series of tropes. It’s as if this film underscores all of Gal Gadot’s weaknesses as an actress, despite a few impressive moments of physicality in her performance, which don’t come close to impressing like Tom Cruise would. Yes, there’s a lot of running here, but it doesn’t equate to genuine momentum.

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      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

      Robert Kojder