Running Out of Time (2/5) – Netflix Movie Review

RUNNING OUT OF TIME is a new thriller on Netflix. The movie originally premiered on BET and has a 90s action vibe. If that’s not your thing, you might not enjoy it. However, if you watch it as a spoof, it can be fun. Read more in our full Running Out of Time review or watch it on Netflix now.

Running Out of Time is a new thriller on Netflix with a really cool leading lady. This is definitely the best thing about the movie that originally premiered on BET. 

However, I can’t say that I enjoyed it overall. It’s simply feels too stereotypical in a sense that reminds me of so many 90s action movies. The kind that has a plot you will guess way ahead of time. Well, except for those elements that are so far fetched that it’s meant to make you gasp with surprise. I didn’t gasp as much as I rolled my eyes.

Then again, there’s fun to be had watching this kind of movie on Netflix. Read more in the rest of our Running Out of Time review below.

Tasha Smith is the perfect badass diva

The one thing Running Out of Time really does have going for itself is Tasha Smith (Empire). Much like Gina Gershon in Showgirls or Joan Collins in Dynasty, she seems to be the one actor who knows what kind of movie she’s in.

When the plot is like something out of a soap opera (or the earlier mentioned 90s action movies), then you need to adjust your acting accordingly. This is something Tasha Smith manages to get away with in a way that makes her performance very entertaining.

Also, you’ll get Telma Hopkins (the Netflix series Dead to Me) portraying her mother, which is another cool detail.

You should guess this plot twist

I cannot be the only one who immediately thinks of Carlton from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air when RonReaco Lee shows up. If they ever wanted to do a biopic including Alfonso Ribeiro, then he’s the perfect actor. In Running Out of Time, his character might remind you of Carlton at first, but that won’t last.

However, you should be able to guess what kind of person Cain (RonReaco Lee) is very quickly. The plot involving his character is old and basically a trope. Bascially, it’s like the plot of Ghost in many ways and you will be able to smell the plot twist from a mile away.

Then again, I will say that there are elements to the twist that I hadn’t seen coming. Those are the elements that should both impress and annoy you but also make Running Out of Time worth watching on Netflix.

Watch Running Out of Time on Netflix

Even though Running Out of Time has already aired on BET, there’s no doubt that this Netflix release will reach a much larger audience. The director is Chris Stokes who also co-wrote the script. In other words, it’s the same setup as it was the case for his previous movie We Belong Together which was recently released on Netflix as well.

You might like: Our review of the thriller We Belong Together here >

To me, Running Out of Time is the better movie of the two. Both because the story is better (or maybe just more fun to watch) and because its leading lady is such a wonderful badass.

Really, you should watch this new thriller on Netflix as a kitsch action thriller that feels like a spoof on a 90s movie. If you do that, you can have a lot of fun with Running Out of Time. If you take it too seriously, it will probably be a drag to watch.

Running Out of Time is out on Netflix in the US, UK, Canada and Australia from August 1, 2019.

Details

Director: Chris Stokes
Writers: Chaz Echols, Marques Houston, Chris Stokes
Stars: Tasha Smith, RonReaco Lee, Kearia Schroeder, Telma Hopkins, Dustin Harnish, Sean Dominic

Plot

Held hostage by men searching for a secret her late husband left behind, a recent widow and her family race against time to find a way out.