RUN!
It’s not just a word bookending the title of Shana Feste’s pulse-pounding, feminist horror Run Sweetheart Run. The word hits you in the chest in big bold letters, driving the action forward at key beats in this “date night from Hell” thriller, full of real-world anxieties about how quickly a seemingly nice man will become a vicious monster, and the woman his prey. Having debuted two years ago at Sundance, the film finally arrives in time for Halloween courtesy of Amazon Prime Video, where it’ll make a welcome change-of-pace for spooky night vieweing.
Charlie’s Angels star Ella Balinska plays Cherie, a hard-working legal assistant at a prestigious law firm. She’s had a rough go of it, not only in the male-dominated workplace but in her personal life. A bad experience with an ex has shattered her world, left her with a daughter she loves dearly, and a glaring need for a fun night out. So while reluctant at first when her boss (Clark Gregg) unloads a night out with important client Ethan (a terrifying Pilou Asbaek), she could use a good time out. And then there’s the fact that Ethan is gorgeous, a real charmer, and seems to know how to treat a lady. But it’s when Cherie accepts a nightcap at Ethan’s place that everything gets turned upside down.
Feste, who is best known for her Gwyneth Paltrow-does-Country Music melodrama Country Strong, has seemingly found her niche in the realm of propulsive revenge flicks. I got a real Running Scared vibe out of the constant progression of action, and B-movie style Feste favors both in terms of the synth score and visual layout.
We’re kept on our toes by a series of wildly over-the-top twists. Initially, the film feels quite grounded in reality, before leaping off the screen into full-blown chase mode and finally something supernatural. What’s clever is the way Feste uses the camera to introduce these crazy changes in tone: Cherie enters Ethan’s home, only for the shot to stay outside, poised on the door while we hear her screams growing louder on the other side, until finally she comes bursting out and the hunt has begun. Later, some fourth-wall breaking trickery covers up some of the awful violence being inflicted. Feste never gives in to the demands of gore, keeping the worst of it just out of frame. That said, blood plays a major role throughout the film, and not just because of Cherie’s ongoing search throughout the night for a tampon.
Working on the kind of small budget that Blumhouse favors, Run Sweetheart Run stretches itself thin in the final act. As the story begins to lean more into the paranormal and the visual effects needs grow, it starts to look cheesy and not in a fun way. Fortunately, the welcome arrival of the great Shohreh Aghdashloo as the “First Lady” is a balm that cures everything. Her role is small but delivers in the effortless panache she’s known for. Balinska gives a strong, relentless performance that must’ve been exhausting to see through to the end, while Asbaek continues to top himself as one of the best screen bad guys working today.
Run Sweetheart Run is a blistering, blood-soaked entry in a new wave of feminist revenge flicks, turning rightful rage and #MeToo energy into murderously fun entertainment.
Prime Video will begin streaming Run Sweetheart Run on October 28th.
