Review of Run

midlandsmovies • April 3, 2021
Run (2021) Dir. Aneesh Chaganty 

Chloe Sherman is a teenager with angst about going to college who battles her over-protective mother Diane in a new tense thriller from Aneesh Chagnaty called Run.

Chloe is played excellently by Kiera Allen (who is a real-life wheelchair user) whilst her mother is a suitably caring (at first) Sarah Paulson whose concerns about protecting her disabled daughter soon become over-bearing.

But one day, Chloe finds a re-labelled bottle of pills in the cupboard, yet her attempts to find out what’s going on are thwarted by her mother who has cut the internet off and refuses to see her post about her college applications.

Anxious and concerned that there is a darker secret underlying these strange occurrences, Chloe tricks her mum at a movie theatre and discovers a shocking fact at a local pharmacy. Yet after the incident Chloe now has more restrictions on her freedom at home with her bedroom door and windows now locked.

The wheelchair bound Kiera Allen is a revelation and the film shows the struggles with some aspects of life which affect Chloe’s ability to easily find out more about her possibly dangerous situation. And Paulson delivers a suitably contrary performance as her increasingly erratic carer.

[Mild spoilers]
Like the real-life 2017 documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest (our review) it is slowly revealed the film explores Munchausen syndrome by proxy – the condition where a parent themselves induces health problems in their offspring. The serious topic gives the film an interesting angle but it certainly sits more firmly in the thriller genre rather than an all-out serious drama. As Chloe’s attempts to get away become more desperate, the film increases the stakes and we get tense cat-and-mouse sequences, riveting suspense sequences and enthralling attempts to escape.

Almost entirely based on the relationship of the two main actresses, it’s fantastic that they both more than deliver here. Paulson draws on her TV role as Nurse Ratched as the unhinged “protector” and Kiera Allen captures the vulnerabilities and determination of a young woman dealing with her daily condition and the added restrictions placed upon her by her captor.

Tonally though the film has more in common with early 90s thrillers The Hand that Rocks the Cradle and Misery as well as the more recent Greta (our review) which was influenced by similar movies from that same era. With exaggerated clashes the daughter does everything she can to escape her mother’s clutches with her disability proving to be an extra frustration to do so.

Balancing the more serious themes of control and manipulation with rousing thriller tropes, Run ends as an entertaining and extremely suspenseful movie held together by a dynamic double-header from the always watchable Paulson and an exceptional performance from newcomer Kiera Allen.

Michael Sales
By midlandsmovies April 4, 2025
Molina is a new sci-fi drama short from Leicester filmmaker Richard Chambers which explores the ramifications of mind-altering technology amid tense human relationships.
By midlandsmovies April 4, 2025
St. Patrick’s Day Massacre is the latest b-movie horror from Midlands director Steve Lawson who once again delves into the past to provide new spins on established stories and lore. And this time he uses St. Patrick’s Day as a jumping off point to create a tale of historic horror encroaching on the modern day.
By midlandsmovies April 2, 2025
Leicester Square didn’t host one particular UK premiere back in the 90s - but the city of Leicester in the Midlands sure as hell did. Holy cinema, Batman!
By midlandsmovies March 22, 2025
I’ve mentioned this before in reviews for Midlands Movies; reviewing low budget, independently made films requires a change in mindset. There’s a level of compromise, with allowances made for the odd rough-around-the-edges performance or some shaky effects work.
Show More
Share by: