Run
Starring: Kiera Allen and Sarah Paulson
Directed By: Aneesh Chaganty
Rated: PG-13
What if you were stuck in your own home, unable to trust the one person you relied on for everything? That’s the theme of Run, Hulu’s latest film starring Sarah Paulson. It’s a little bit Misery mixed with Sharp Objects meets the real-life story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard. The film tells the tale of Chloe Sherman, an 18-year-old homeschooled girl with several physical ailments. Chloe is paralyzed; she has asthma, a heart arrhythmia, and rashes on her skin. Her mother Diane is her caretaker making sure she gets the right medications every day. Soon, Chloe will be going off to college, hopefully, Washington University (her dream school) without her mom. It’s the first time the two will be apart in Chloe’s life. While looking through the house one day, Chloe stumbles upon a startling secret that will change everything she thought she knew about her life and mother.
Directed by Aneesh Chaganty, Run is an effective thriller. There are plenty of scenes filled with suspense. Some moments are downright scary. The thought of being unable to trust the person you depend on in life is horrifying. As Chloe tries to navigate the house in her wheelchair without her mother’s knowledge, you can feel the tension building. She has no phone, no access to the internet without her mother’s knowledge, and no friends to ask for help. Due to these circumstances, Aneesh Chaganty creates an extremely claustrophobic atmosphere that closes in with each passing moment.
Although the tension builds effectively, I have to say that Run is predictable. If you’re familiar with The Act or Sharp Objects, it becomes clear early on where this story is going. Aside from one twist, there isn’t too much that comes as a surprise. As a viewer, you can pick up on most things happening in Diane and Chloe’s house. Run has some thrills, but I would’ve liked a few more surprises in its storyline to keep me guessing.
Sarah Paulson is an excellent actress. Her work as Marcia Clarke is honestly one of my favorite TV performances in recent memory. Marcia Clarke this is not. Listen, she’s good in this. She’s good in everything she does. This is just a little bit campy. (Or maybe a lot campy.) I’d call this her Mommie Dearest moment, for sure. Paulson is convincing in Diane's role, beginning the film as a dedicated mother to Chloe. Early on, she seems like a calm and collected caretaker who spends most of her days helping Chloe navigate her illnesses. She changes course as the film goes on taking some majorly wild twists and turns. (There isn’t a “no wire hangers” moment but I really thought she might sneak one in there for a little bit.)
Kiera Allen impresses in a breakout role as Chloe. The actress actually uses a wheelchair in real life, so props to the filmmakers for casting someone right for the role. Allen takes the viewers on quite a journey throughout the film, conveying the shock, confusion, and the eventual terror of someone stuck in her situation. The dynamic between Chloe and Diane seems downright idyllic at first but quickly shifts gears into something much darker.
This is a story that’s themes have been explored a lot in recent media. Although Run is familiar and a bit predictable, it remains an effective thriller that will keep you entertained.
My Rating: 6/10