Oh, how I do adore Sarah Paulson. Even after all of her success, she is still underrated.
And she puts in another wonderful performance in “Run”, starring as a troubled woman who refuses to let her daughter go off to college and will do anything to keep her at home so they can be together.
She plays Diane, who lives with her daughter Chloe, played by Kiera Allen (who we’ll get to in a second). As Chloe gets older and wants to experience a more traditional life that consists of having internet and beating her illnesses that keep her confined to her home. Diane’s increasingly bizarre behavior pushes her daughter into thinking everything may not be as it appears.
And this movie works so well because of it’s two leads. At times, it’s essentially a two woman play.
I’ve talked about Paulson. We need to talk about Allen here, who puts in a really strong performance trying to figure out a mystery while confined to a wheelchair and a home which is essentially her prison. Allen, who is actually a wheel chair user, makes us feel some genuine suspense as she tries to find these answers behind her life, while her mother could be lurking anywhere at any given moment. It’s great fun to watch.
The film actually slips in it’s final 30 seconds, where I believe a decision was made that kinda cheapened the ending for me. Still, director, Aneesh Chaganty gives us a fine film.
And a wonderful showcase of how great Paulson is, and how good Allen is going to be.
Really, Hulu should have released the movie on Mother’s Day. It’s earned a place there as a fun counter programming to other films about a parent’s relationship with their growing kids.
Run
Grade: B+
Running Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Rated: PG-13