Run – Hulu Review (4/5)

RUN is a new Hulu horror-thriller starring Sarah Paulson and Kiera Allen. It has a rather simple plot with a built-in mystery and the 90-minute runtime does it justice. It does pack quite a punch in many ways. Mostly, it’s just really entertaining. Read our full Run movie review here!

RUN is a new Hulu movie starring Sarah Paulson which is more than enough reason for us to watch it. Obviously, the fact that the genres for this movie are horror, mystery, and thriller means this Hulu release is also right up our alley.

The plot is both simple and familiar – which you will know if you’ve watched the trailer – but that’s exactly what makes this movie work so well. A solid 90-minutes of entertainment with a story that feels both familiar and fresh. Also, watch out for some awesome pop culture references (such as the mention of Stephen King’s “Derry, Maine”). 

Continue reading our Run movie review below and do check it out on Hulu.

Newcomer Kiera Allen

Comparing this new Hulu movie with the Hulu series The Act (based on a true story, starring Joey King) is also obvious due to the nature of the plot. Make sure you check out The Act as well. Especially if you enjoy the core plot of Run and like watching young actors giving brilliant performances.

For Run, we get to watch newcomer Kiera Allen deliver an amazing performance. She is so wonderfully natural and I have no problem buying into whatever she’s selling at any moment. Prior to making this movie, Kiera Allen had only been in a short film from 2014. I really hope we won’t have to wait long before seeing her again.

Maybe she could follow her “movie mom” Sarah Paulson over to Ryan Murphy productions?! She certainly has everything needed to work perfectly with genre productions.

Also, I have to mention Pat Healy, who will be very familiar to fans of indie genre film. Pat Healy was brilliant as the star of Cheap Thrills (2013) and was in the recently released The Pale Door (2020). In Run, he has a small but pivotal role!

Sarah Paulson is our genre queen

Obviously, the Netflix series Ratched, which starred Sarah Paulson in the title role, has meant that she is very much top-of-mind right now. However, having worked with Ryan Murphy on American Horror Story since 2011, she is definitely one of our most beloved genre queens right now. In fact, she is probably the queen!

You might like: Our Season 1 review of the Netflix series Ratched here >

She has played so many iconic roles in Ryan Murphy productions alone but she was also in the Netflix mega-hit Bird Box (directed by my fellow Dane, Susanne Bier, who has The Undoing on HBO right now). Going back even first, she also co-starred in Frank Miller’s The Spirit from 2008. Before this, she was also in the TV series American Gothic (1995-1998).

What I’m trying to get at is simply that Sarah Paulson has been doing genre movies and TV series for a few decades now. And she is bigger and better than ever. Now, having said that, I expect she had a blast making Run because she definitely delivers the kind of performance that makes an impact.

Of course, she was also beyond brilliant as Mildred Ratched in Ratched but somehow the two seem miles apart. As they should, of course. After all, that’s what acting is all about; constantly creating new personas for different stories.

The ending of Run on Hulu!

As it’s so often the case, movie endings can make or break a movie. For Run, the ending is yet another spot-on moment! In fact, when the final scene comes along, you should both gasp and smile. Well, I know I did anyway!

Also, the ending of Run comes along very organically. Sometimes, these horror-thrillers can have a tendency to run a bit too long to really work with the mystery aspect. There’s none of that with this Hulu release since the 90-minute runtime keeps the pace tight and constant.

Finally, yes, Run is obviously quite easy to compare with the insanely iconic Stephen King book and adaptation Misery. Coincidently, this was the movie that made Kathy Bates a household name. Of course, Run star Sarah Paulson and Kathy Bates have been working together on American Horror Story for years now.

Possible Easter egg: Pay attention to when the name of Kathy Bates’ character in Misery suddenly pops up in Run!

For the record; no, I am not saying that the ending of Run is comparable to the ending of Misery. Even though I can easily say that I love both endings in their own ways. Neither of them is too simple or “soft”, which is a pet peeve of mine.

Watch Run on Hulu now!

Aneesh Chaganty is the director and co-writer of Run along with Sev Ohanian. The two previously wrote the screenplay for Searching (2018), which was also directed by Aneesh Chaganty. If you haven’t watched that movie yet, then you most definitely should make sure you do.

Searching is told only via technology devices (laptops and phones), which means it’s the same method as used for the brilliant Shudder movie Host. Another movie, you should have watched by now. Otherwise, you really do need to check out Host if you’re a horror fan.

Before you get to any of the above movies, you should first check out Run on Hulu, before someone spoils it for you.

We don’t do spoilers here at Heaven of Horror, but they will surely be difficult to avoid. This is only the second feature film from Aneesh Chaganty (with co-writer Sev Ohanian), but he has delivered two very strong movies so far, so we hope this will continue!

Run is out on Hulu from November 20, 2020.

Details

Release date: November 20, 2020, on Hulu
Director: Aneesh Chaganty
Writers: Aneesh Chaganty, Sev Ohanian
Stars: Sarah Paulson, Kiera Allen, Pat Healy, Erik Athavale, Bradley Sawatzky