NINETOES VS. THE RUNNER

Ninetoes and the Mrs. decided to settle down and watch Gal Gadot’s new release, THE RUNNER, on PRIME. They expected action, but they did not expect to be left breathless!

A high-powered attorney must race through London to save her abducted son while following cryptic commands from a mysterious caller.

THE RUNNER

Directed by Kevin MacDonald

Written by Mark Gibson

Starring Gal Gadot, Damian Lewis, Rory Wilmot

Rated PG-13

Run time 1 hour 24 minutes

Hey there, movie lovers! It is your old pal, Ninetoes, coming to you from Ninetoes HQ. Today I am taking a look at Gal Gadot’s new movie, The Runner. I have popcorn in my system, and my thinking cap on, so let’s get to it!

This movie starts like any other day; a mother is getting her son ready for school while she goes out for a run after dropping him off. It is in these scenes at home that you really need to pay attention because if you blink, you might miss some key details, especially her phone being hacked in front of the audience’s eyes.

Here is the gist of the movie: Maia is a high-powered attorney. She has a big case this day with a surprise witness against a crime lord. If the witness does not make it to court, the case falls apart, and the crime lord goes free. Enter the mysterious voice that has her son, and unless she can make it to the hotel where the witness is and kill him, her son will die. She has one hour to run five miles through London and get the job done. Easy-peasy, right? You would think so…

Now, I would be remiss if I did not just come out and say Gal Gadot is in insane shape. She does not run as much as glide through the streets of London. She would give Usain Bolt a run for his money. Her acting is on point in this movie; I believed she was a mother desperate to save her son as she ran for their lives. Then we have Damian Lewis as the voice on the phone. At first, I thought it was Jason Statham; they sound almost exactly alike. Make no mistake, this voice drips with malevolence in a very calm, very British manner. These two actors play off of each other very well in their game of cat and mouse. What is it they say? The mouse gets the cheese. The question on my mind as the tension mounted (and it does mount!) is if this mouse will get the cheese in the end. We all look for happy endings in movies, but these days you just cannot be sure.

Then there is the underlying theme of the dangers of modern technology, especially AI. The mysterious voice is sitting in front of a bank of monitors as he tracks Maia’s EVERY move. Also at his disposal is every aspect of her life, laid bare, in front of him to use like pinpoint weapons to make her do what he wants. There is a scene where her son’s school calls to inquire why he is not at school, and she hears her own voice giving the reason while Mr. Mystery types her responses. She yells into the phone in desperation, but they do not hear her. For all intents and purposes, her life has been hacked. Such are the dangers of modern-day living. The other point made in this movie is that we are so intent on the little screens that life passes us by. Here is a woman, running for her life, and unless she bumps into someone, no one notices! This is all too common in today’s day and age, and that point is driven in with the force of a hammer hitting a nail!

This movie is perfect for fans of thrillers, high-octane stories, and the dangers of modern technology.

I give this one 4 out of 5 popcorn buckets.

Darren “Ninetoes” Perdue is a book and media reviewer. When he is not reading, he is watching true crime shows, cooking for his family, or working on a plan for universal domination. If you see him on his porch, say hi. He does not bite…much.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.