Running Scared

Directed by Wayne Kramer, Running Scared follows low-ranking mobster Joey Gazelle (Paul Walker) as he frantically launches a search for his missing gun before it implicates him in a murder. It’s clear virtually from the word go that filmmaker Kramer, working from his own screenplay, isn’t looking to deliver a run-of-the-mill thriller here, as Running Scared boasts a larger-than-life, gleefully broad sensibility that’s been hard-wired into almost every facet of the proceedings – with the ongoing emphasis on frenetic visuals and wildly over-the-top set-pieces certainly emblematic of Kramer’s far-from-subtle approach. And although the 122 minute running time paves the way for a somewhat hit-and-miss midsection (ie the movie should’ve topped out at an hour-and-a-half, undoubtedly), Running Scared benefits from its raft of appealing, compelling performances and smattering of jaw-droppingly captivating sequences – with the latter reflected most keenly in the stretch detailing Joey’s wife’s (Vera Farmiga’s Teresa) efforts at rescuing her son and two other children from a seriously demented couple (Elizabeth Mitchell’s Edele and Bruce Altman’s Dez). The violent (yet undeniably protracted) climax ensures that the whole thing ends on as balls-to-the-wall a note as one might’ve expected (and hoped for), which ultimately does cement Running Scared‘s place as a fairly singular entry within the thriller genre.

*** out of ****