Range Runners

Not Rated

VOD/Digital starting September 8 (Amazon, iTunes, Google Play…) Uncork’d Entertainment and Dark Star Pictures

Range Runners was written by Devon Colwell and directed by Philip S. Plowden

This is a bit of an interesting twist on the “bad things happen to a woman alone” story…

Synopsis:

A woman thru-hiking an isolated trail runs into trouble when her pack is hijacked by two men hiding out in the woods, desperate and on the run. Now, stranded and left to fend for herself, she has a choice: crawl back to her normal life in defeat, or push forward and take back what was stolen from her.

When Mel, hiking/running an Appalachian-type trail, encounters two men, both injured, and decides to help them, her life is turned upside down.

Now, Mel, of course, if running this multi-day/week trail because she’s got some shit to work through. Told in flashbacks, we see her running track under the stern guidance of her father, always pushing her to do more, faster, and never giving her praise for anything she accomplishes.

With her sister, Chloe, driving between rest sites (the next one is 8 days away) as she goes on foot, Mel deals with her inner demons, while also now dealing with the external demons of Wayland and Jared, who are obviously on the run from something a bit more material than Mel.

Not content to simply run away once she gets free, Mel is determined is retrieve her pack, not for its survival supplies, but for something else.

While there are some narrative shortcomings here, overall, the minimal cast and set pieces allow the characters to develop enough to pace the film along, mostly competently, and provide a satisfying denouement for the viewer.

Range Runners stars Celeste M Cooper, Sean Patrick Leonard, Michael B. Woods, and Tiffany Renee Johnson.

My Grade: B-

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