Nerdboy1423 Review of Running Scared

Running Scared (2006)

Watch it more than once! Inspired Violent Brilliance!

[10/10 · 12 June 2006]

This is a great '70's style action film on speed, literally. I've never watched a film so fast paced or so insanely over the top than Running Scared, at least, not a film made in the US. In terms of content, it actually reminded me of some of the gangster films of Takashi Miike in terms of the graphic nature. But beyond the pretty grittiness of the film, the wild camera work and the nice visual effects, the film has a heart. One of the most memorable scenes of any recent film is a scene involving a couple of married pedophiles and Vera Farmiga, who turns in a solid and totally convincing role as Paul Walker's worried and caring wife. Not only Vera, but everyone else in the cast plays their roles very well, very solid and over the top, surprisingly, this is the first time I've actually been sold on a performance by Paul Walker, who usually is crap, but it seems that it is only the material that is crap, because he shines in this dystopic suburban gangster fairy tale that is inspired as much from Goodfellas as it is from the work of the Bros Grimm. The film's only vice, in my mind is the fact that it goes so fast you miss some of the great kernels of entertainment in the dialogue or character quirks the first time around. I had to watch it twice, and enjoyed it even more the second time, was even more glued to what was unfolding in front of me in the tightly wound gritty violent film by Wayne Kramer, who tops The Cooler, which was great by it's own standards with this film.