Feeling Trapped, a Daughter Tries to Escape Her Unstable Mother

Sarah Paulson (left) and Kiera Allen in "Run" 
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Two years ago, Aneesh Chaganty made one of the boldest filmmaking debuts of 2018 with his psychological techno-thriller, “Searching.”  Teaming up with his co-writer, Sev Ohanian, they delivered an anxiety-inducing story of a father trying to find his daughter, all of which took place on computer and cell phone screens.  It was a creative and immersive moviegoing experience, one where the storytelling approach didn’t come off as a gimmick, but was instead an innovative technique that heightened the suspense of the narrative.

Now, they’re back with their second feature, “Run,” another dive into thriller territory.  Although it’s not quite as gripping as “Searching,” it still offers some enjoyable thrills and a pair of superb performances.

For all of her life, Chloe Sherman (Kiera Allen) has been confined to a wheelchair and taken care of and homeschooled by her mother, Diane (Sarah Paulson).  Despite them having a loving bond, Chloe soon begins to suspect that her mother is harboring some disturbing secrets.

In her breakthrough performance, Allen manages to bring out both the fear and resilience that her character faces in an unthinkable situation.  The panic that Allen’s character exhibits is palpable and anchors you to the life-or-death gravity of being at the mercy or her mother.  However, in the scenes where Allen shows her character’s ingenuity, she gives Chloe an understated ferociousness that invests you in how far she’s willing to push herself towards finding out the menace that’s hiding behind her mom’s seemingly loving veneer.  With this being Allen’s first feature-length movie, she does a commendable job in throwing herself into her role, exhibiting just as much power as her co-star and making you switch between biting your nails as you fear for her life, and cheering for her as she does what she can to fight her way from the unsettling lifestyle in which her mother has trapped her.  In her character’s heart-pounding journey to uncover the mystery behind her sheltered life, Allen’s debut couldn’t be stronger. 

It’s difficult to go into detail about Paulson’s performance for fear of spoilers, but what I can say is that, as always, she displays the fullest commitment to her role. What’s noteworthy is that, even though this is the type of story that can fall into campiness, Paulson keeps her performance from going over-the-top, while still being able to display her character’s disturbed mind in a compelling way.  With all of the time that she’s spent on television’s “American Horror Story,” it’s not a surprise that it doesn’t take much for Paulson to immerse herself in the unsettling nature of the story.  While Paulson has excelled in multiple genres, she has been an unforgettable force in the field of horror and suspense, and here, she’s as engrossing as ever, showing how much her character cares for her daughter, but making you always think about how there’s something that’s very, very wrong with Diane.  It’s a performance that will rattle your nerves, and just like how Chloe’s character will show you how far she’s willing to go to escape from her mom, Diane will show you what she’s willing to do to maintain the poisonous relationship that’s at the center of the story.

The screenplay by Chaganty and Ohanian has a couple of predictable story beats and is a bit of a step back from the labyrinthine nature of their debut feature, but it still offers some entertaining surprises that manage to accelerate your heart rate.  With both this film and “Searching” having small casts, this allows more of an intimate screen-sharing between the cast members.  The scenes with Chloe and Diane become more tense as the movie progresses, keeping you invested in the twisted nature of their dangerous relationship.  Between “Searching” and “Run,” Chaganty and Ohanian have proven that they’re not just skillful at crafting thrills in their narrative, but also building characters that provide those thrills with a bigger impact because of how detailed they are.  By balancing the drama and pulse-quickening apprehension, this duo once again uses those aspects to explore the connection between parents and their children, just as they did with “Searching.”

Despite some of the movie feeling a bit familiar, Chaganty has the ability to get as much tension as possible out of any scene.  Whether a sequence focuses on Chloe and Diane sharing a meal, or one of the film’s bigger scenes, such as when Chloe has to find a way to escape her barricaded bedroom, Chaganty delivers tightly wound thrills that are made even more impressive with the fact that this is only his second feature.  What’s remarkable his that he’s able to keep the movie fast-paced, while also providing us with enough time to get to know the characters, thanks to his “Searching” editors Nick Johnson and Will Merrick.  Meanwhile, composer Torin Borrowdale, who also collaborated with Chaganty on “Searching,” delivers a score that helps amplify the film’s suspenseful nature.

With just two movies, Chaganty and Ohanian have solidified themselves as individuals who exemplify great ambition in their work, showing that they’re not afraid to take their ideas and run with them.

Grade: B+