‘Runner’ Is Winning Over Audiences With Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson’s Wild Action Pairing as CinemaScore Is Revealed

Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson may not seem like the most obvious pair for an action thriller, but that strange combination appears to be one of the biggest reasons audiences are enjoying Runner. The new Angel Studios movie opened with an A- CinemaScore, giving it a strong start and showing that moviegoers are responding well to its mix of action, comedy, and a very simple race-against-time story.

Runner puts Ritchson in the role of Hank Malone, a former soldier who now works as a courier in Brisbane, Australia. Hank is trying to stay sober while dealing with the pain of losing his daughter. His quiet life changes when he picks up a package at the airport and discovers that it is not an ordinary delivery. He is carrying a donor liver that needs to reach a seriously ill seven-year-old girl before it becomes unusable.

The problem is that Hank has only about three hours to get the organ where it needs to go. Things become even worse when criminals begin chasing him because they want the liver for themselves. What starts as a delivery job quickly turns into a nonstop fight for survival, with Hank forced to drive, run, fight, and make difficult choices while the clock keeps moving.

Wilson plays Ben, who becomes caught up in Hank’s dangerous mission. His relaxed personality is a sharp contrast to Ritchson’s much more serious character, and that difference gives the movie much of its humor. Instead of creating a traditional action partnership, Runner puts two actors with very different styles together and lets their personalities clash as the situation becomes more dangerous.

That decision seems to have worked. Runner currently has a 70 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes from 18 reviews. The outlet also noted that the movie is now Ritchson’s third-highest-rated film and his best-reviewed movie of the year so far. The critical response is not perfect, but it is strong enough to suggest that the movie has found an audience beyond Ritchson’s existing Reacher fanbase.

The A- CinemaScore is even more encouraging because it comes directly from opening-weekend audiences. CinemaScore grades are based on reactions from people who have actually seen a movie, so the result suggests that Runner is doing a good job delivering the kind of fast, entertaining experience viewers expected. The movie is only 98 minutes long, which also helps keep the story moving without giving the action much time to slow down.

Director Scott Waugh appears to have built the film around that speed. Rather than filling the movie with a huge cast and several different storylines, he keeps much of the focus on Hank and Ben as they try to survive the increasingly dangerous journey. Waugh previously directed Need for Speed and Expend4bles, but Runner gives him a smaller story where the relationship between the two leads can stay at the center.

The movie is also an interesting change for Angel Studios. The company is best known for faith-based and family-friendly releases, so a violent action thriller like Runner is a noticeable shift. The film goes for a much rougher tone while still keeping the humor and easy entertainment that can make an action movie work with a wide audience.

Ritchson also has more control over the project than just starring in it. He serves as one of the producers, which gives him a role in shaping the movie behind the scenes as well. After becoming widely known for playing Jack Reacher on Prime Video, Ritchson has been looking for ways to build himself into a bigger theatrical action star, and Runner gives him another chance to prove he can carry a movie on his own.

The supporting cast includes Rodrigo Santoro, Leila George, and Adriana Barraza, but the main focus remains on Ritchson and Wilson. Their unusual chemistry may ultimately be what helps Runner stand apart from other action movies. Ritchson brings the physical presence and serious side, while Wilson adds the lighter energy that keeps the movie from becoming too heavy.

With an A- CinemaScore and a solid early Rotten Tomatoes score, Runner has already made a promising first impression. The movie still has to prove that it can stay popular after its opening weekend, but the early response gives it a good chance of building strong word of mouth. For Ritchson, it could also become an important step toward establishing himself as a reliable big-screen action lead.

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