Runner Runner – ABC Film Challenge – Thriller – R – Runner Runner – Movie Review
Director: Brad Furman
Writer: Brian Koppelman, David Levien (Screenplay)
Cast
- Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting)
- Justin Timberlake (Reptile)
- Gemma Arterton (The Voices)
- Anthony Mackie (Captain America Winter Soldier)
- Michael Esper (Ben is Back)
Plot: When a poor college student who cracks an online poker game goes bust, he arranges a face-to-face with the man he thinks cheated him, a sly offshore entrepreneur.
Runtime: 1 Hour 28 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Runner Runner starts when a college student Richie Furst (Timberlake) travels to Costa Rica to challenge the owner of an online gaming site Ivan Block (Affleck). He believes he has been cheated on the site and wants to discuss a way to get his money back.
Once the pair meet, Ivan offers Richie a role working for him, offering a massive payday. As Richie gets his feet under the table, he finds himself learning about the corruption within the industry. All until things start spiralling out of control.
Verdict on Runner Runner
Runner Runner is a thriller following a college student who challenges the owner of an illegal online gambling site. It starts when he starts working for him, but soon gets caught up in an investigation to bring him down.
This is a thriller that uses the tried and tested formula to show someone put in a position to challenge a wanted criminal. It has the life of luxury on offer or the one being hunted down by a crime boss. We get a tidy thriller that never really explores as much as it could. It offers little new to what we have seen before and falls into the typical concept.
Final Thoughts –Runner Runner is a by the book thriller.