The Runner

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1:48

The Runner

PG-13

2026

1h 24m

Action

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

9%

Tomatometer

53 Reviews

31%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

In the pulse-pounding psychological thriller The Runner, Maia Marten (Gal Gadot) has built her life on being one step ahead -- a sharp, resourceful, high-powered lawyer at the top of London's legal world. During her routine morning run, a single phone call shatters her world: her son has been taken. The instructions to get him back are simple and merciless -- keep moving, follow every command, and tell no one. Stop, and he dies. Forced to sprint through the city and obey a series of sinister commands, Maia must confront an impossible question: how far will she go to bring her son home? Set against the backdrop of London's hyper-connected streets, The Runner is a visceral, high-stakes race where every second counts, every choice carries a price, and a mother's unstoppable love becomes the most dangerous weapon of all.

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Critics Consensus

An empty, relentlessly frantic thriller, The Runner's real time gimmick and flat-footed plotting generate more headaches than suspense.

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Jared Richards

The Age (Australia)

Sep 9, 2026

2/5

Despite its blackmail plot unfolding (loosely) in real-time, this forgettable 84-minute thriller is devoid of any rising tension.

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Peter Travers

The Travers Take

Sep 4, 2026

1/4

In this dumb-as-dirt kidnap drama, Gal Gadot huffs and puffs, trying to outrun an idiot plot that goes nowhere in 84 minutes.

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Robert Daniels

New York Times

Sep 3, 2026

Gal Gadot takes a mighty stumble in the unimaginative thriller “The Runner.”

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Rachel Ho

Exclaim!

2 days ago

An elongated Saturday Night Live sketch with no punchline.

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Nicholas Bell

Fish Jelly Films (YouTube)

Sep 14, 2026

1/5

Whether she's running, or stays in one spot It seems there's not much to Gal Gadot. And there's just nothing new to see in The Runner Which starts out dumb and then quickly gets dumber.

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Rachel Wagner

Hallmarkies Podcast

Sep 12, 2026

the plot is absurd but might be enjoyable as a dumb thriller

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Joe S

@RT50397071 1 day ago

Did she stop yet? Let me know when she stops

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Daphne M

@RT55623656 1 day ago

Omg this was so bad. The Runner 2026 - silly really. Most of the movie Gal Gadot is hyperventilating lol The emotional connection with the boy is not enough to really make the audience connect with her feelings obviously people can understand a mother‘s connection with a child and their instinct to want to save them however, there’s no emotional connection with these specific characters . We don’t get to know the character enough to really feel anything. The ending is just bad, the grin on the villain’s face at the end, the outcome of how she’s able to overcome the situation is just unbelievable - in a bad way. I believe it boils down to bad writing. If you have a good story and dialogue, then the movie will be good. In this case there is no good dialogue or plot. The plot is very thin and it’s just bad. It literally made me cringe at the end, seeing her stare the caller through the glass and he just stands there grinning like an idiot - cringy.

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Robert P

@Superbad 1 day ago

The Runner = a *1.5* star Movie!

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Keily R

@RT39565436 2 days ago

I think that was the most unexpected plot twist I have ever seen; it was a really good movie.

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R S

@RafSzyp 2 days ago

One of the worst plot twists I have ever seen. You can't expect me to watch a woman run for 90 minutes !

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Picasso P

@RT45566333 2 days ago

So bad. Bad acting and storyline

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Kevin Macdonald

Director

Gal Gadot

Maia

Damian Lewis

The Caller

Rory Wilmot

Noah

Alfred Enoch

Ted

Phoenix Di Sebastiani

Tafa

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Synopsis

In the pulse-pounding psychological thriller The Runner, Maia Marten (Gal Gadot) has built her life on being one step ahead -- a sharp, resourceful, high-powered lawyer at the top of London's legal world. During her routine morning run, a single phone call shatters her world: her son has been taken. The instructions to get him back are simple and merciless -- keep moving, follow every command, and tell no one. Stop, and he dies. Forced to sprint through the city and obey a series of sinister commands, Maia must confront an impossible question: how far will she go to bring her son home? Set against the backdrop of London's hyper-connected streets, The Runner is a visceral, high-stakes race where every second counts, every choice carries a price, and a mother's unstoppable love becomes the most dangerous weapon of all.

Director: Kevin Macdonald
Producer: David Kosse
Screenwriter: Mark Gibson
Distributor: Prime Video
Production Co: Rockwood Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 2, 2026
Runtime: 1h 24m

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