Angel Studios veers away from its established family-friendly formula with Scott Waugh’s action thriller Runner, set against the backdrop of Queensland, Australia. Alan Ritchson (Reacher) drives the story as Hank, an American expat grappling with personal demons while putting his military skills to use as a civilian courier. Waugh (Expend4bles) — a former stuntman turned director — stacks up a relentless series of bruising fight scenes and heart-pounding car chases, and Ritchson proves the perfect anchor for this kind of muscular, action-driven story.
But what really elevates Runner above standard action genre fare is the dynamic between Ritchson and Owen Wilson (Stick). Ritchson’s Hank is a quiet and solitary guy, while Wilson’s Ben is a nonstop talker with a knack for getting under everyone’s skin. He even jokes about the different ways people respond to the fact that he doesn’t have an off switch. Together, they power through an intense, fast-paced thriller that balances gritty violence with genuine heart and well-timed humor.
Runner’s emotional weight comes from Hank’s ongoing battle with sobriety and his determination to walk a peaceful path. His past shadows every decision he makes. An early scene at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting where he proudly accepts a milestone token — followed by a brief call with his ex that shows he’s stung by regret — reveals a man striving for redemption who’s haunted by loss and has sworn to do better. And because this backstory slips in before the action really gets underway, it’s easy to root for Hank when all hell breaks loose on the streets of Brisbane.
But Runner doesn’t just race from one set piece to the next. The action is grounded in real vulnerability, as Hank’s workday, which begins with a womanizer and an exotic bird, turns into a life-or-death mission to deliver a rare organ needed to save a seven-year-old girl. That delivery catapults Hank and his overly sharing passenger Ben into a wild, death-defying two-hour road trip from an airport to a hospital, with a cartel boss willing to slaughter anyone in his path to steal the liver.
The massive, complicated action set pieces are incredible, as you’d expect from Scott Waugh. Waugh doesn’t skimp on the blood and gore, and the body count is surprisingly high for a film centered on a medical delivery. Even smaller action scenes have lethal consequences, and most of the bodies stack up as a result of Alan Ritchson’s war hero character taking on the cartel boss’s son, Damian, played by Rodrigo Santoro (Wolf Pack) with an unsettling, almost gleeful evilness.
Hank promises the sick girl’s mom that he’s not a man people can successfully mess with, and he’s not lying. Ritchson is put through the wringer physically, and unlike other action-centric films, his body realistically displays the pounding it takes. He’s never tidied up, which is a refreshing change from the way aftermaths are often glossed over in brutal fight sequences.
Owen Wilson isn’t known as an action guy, but he’s handled the genre before — and done pretty well. With Runner, Wilson gets the best of both worlds: he’s the comic relief and the reluctant action hero.
Alan Ritchson is the current go-to action guy for a reason. His imposing physical presence and fierce intensity fill the screen, making him utterly convincing in every fight sequence. No matter the odds — whether he’s up against one cartel thug or half a dozen — there’s never a moment you doubt he’ll emerge the winner.
Leila George is a standout among the supporting cast as a mother who fights like a cornered mama bear for her child (played by Scarlett Crabtree). But it’s Ritchson and Wilson — and to a slightly lesser degree, Rodrigo Santoro — who fuel Runner’s pulse-pounding momentum.
Runner is a bloody, breakneck thrill ride anchored by strong performances and a high-stakes ticking clock. The body count might feel excessive given the peaceful nature of the primary mission, but watching Ritchson and Wilson tear around Queensland, Australia, is a blast — even if it’s soaked in a lot more blood than expected.
GRADE: B-
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, action, and strong language
Runtime: 1 hour 37 minutes
Release Date: September 11, 2026
