The Wasteland Reviewer

Runner (2026) Written Review

What would you expect from an action/thriller from Angel Studios? With a film studio that has its roots in faith, you might expect to see so many gunshots and violence from one of their films. But that is certainly not the case for Angel Studios’ Runner. Scott Waugh, the director of Expendables 4, takes the reins of this film where a recovering alcoholic and grieving father must transport a courier with a transplant organ. This seems like it shouldn’t be the craziest concept but when some nefarious folks wanting to make a lot of money try to steal it, there is plenty of mayhem to bring to the Gold Coast of Australia.

How does Waugh bring this thrilling story to life? His track record with action films is not strong but Waugh is able to deliver some solid vision with Runner. The action leverages some longer camera edits, camera pans, and wide lens to give it a more grounded and intense feel. Waugh makes sure the audience feels like they have been dropped right into the action. The shootouts are bombastic and the chases are exhilarating. There is certainly a sheen to the whole proceedings but there is a certain color filter throughout that captures the Gold Coast setting for the film. The pacing of the film is solid as the action keeps coming and the energy is there. Tonally, Waugh struggles a bit in delivering a fun buddy action flick and still attempting to have some serious emotional weight along the way. There is a specific scene that feels out of tone with the rest of the film. The scene gives the film some stakes but it also feels out of place. There is an intensity and darkness to some elements of the film. One of the most distracting elements of the film is the misguided use of popular songs but done with underwhelming cover performances.

Does the film have a good written foundation to make it pop? The screenplay by Miles Hubley and Tommy White is some solid work with plenty of potential. The central protagonist has some layers to him with his tragic past, his failed marriage, his alcohol recovery, and his struggle to get through this frustrating job. His loquacious client is having plenty of fun with some wise-cracking dialogue and an idiosyncratic collection of sensibilities. The buddy style action flick is a frequently used formula, and this one has a good bit of foundation. On the surface, the antagonist is just a non-white gang leader but his motivations for stealing the organ have some depth and complexity (which is refreshing). Admittedly, the film has a bit too many twists and turns which makes the experience feel too convoluted and uneven. There is a good core here and the film could have easily excelled just focusing on those key elements. The film feels tight for most of the run time but does get a little too ridiculous and inconsistent with the big climax of the film. At least this action/comedy/thriller has some good heart and a pair of protagonists who you can get behind.

How does the cast fair with this thrilling ride? Alan Ritchson is a towering, hulk of a man which makes his quite the imposing force during the action sequences. He delivers on the physicality in such an organic and convincing way. He might not have the richest range of emotions, but Ritchson delivers a rough and tough vulnerability that shines in moments. Owen Wilson is the real start of the film as he oozes charisma and delivers plenty of fun and endearing moments off his sheer charisma. Rodrigo Santoro delivers some depth to the gang leader character he portrays as he balances true menace with some genuine emotion and vulnerability. There are some supporting performances that are tad underwhelming at times, but the rest of the cast do a solid job of piecing the rest of the film together. It is nice to have Wilson back in the spotlight and Ritchson getting to continue his streak of good action hero work.

Does Runner deliver an exhilarating experience from Angel Studios? This one might be a little violent and brutal compared to many of their films up to this point, but you can see the heart that they got behind. Ritchson and Wilson make fun and engaging screen partners in Runner. The action has some thrilling moments with some inspired filmmaking. A little bloat does stop this from being a solid film with good character work at its core.