'Run Hide Fight' Makes a Smart, Gripping Thriller Out of a Delicate Subject Matter

Run Hide Fight is easily one of the most interesting movies of 2021.  Unfortunately, it didn’t get much push or love because: a.) the movie centers on a school shooting, a very dark and awkward topic; and b.) the movie is distributed by conservative media company The Daily Wire, and since the entertainment-media complex is mostly left-leaning, you go figure.

The plot follows Zoe Hull (Isabel May), a high school student who’s been struggling to come into terms with the death of her mom, causing her to withdraw herself from others, which puts a strain into her relationship with her father, veteran  Todd Hull (Thomas Jane).  One day, four of her schoolmates, armed with guns and homemade explosives, besiege their school.  Those they don’t kill, they hold hostage in the cafeteria, from where they begin to livestream their crime.  Caught in the middle of this, Zoe must keep her wits about her, grit her teeth, and rely on her tactical mind and her father’s training in order to survive and save the lives of her classmates and teachers.

Run Hide Fight is basically like the first Die Hard movie, but with school shooting.  However, that doesn’t mean it’s merely derivative of that.  It’s a genuinely gripping and fresh action thriller by itself.  It has a smart, well-layered screenplay; stimulating, white-knuckled action sequences; and a terrific main protagonist to get invested on.

Zoe Hull is really outstanding – an early frontrunner for “Best Movie Heroine” in the next Bernels.  The movie does a great job in establishing and fleshing out her character, that you buy into the fact that she’s equipped to deal with such a scenario and understand thoroughly why she reacts a certain way in a particular situation.  Isabel May’s phenomenal acting also contributes to why Zoe is so well-realized and compelling (for the record, the performances of the young actors in this movie are excellent across the board).

What I found most fun watching about Zoe is that she can think on her feet and make quick, intelligent decisions on the fly.  Moreover, her rectitude is striking, too.  Despite her grouchy, cynical, and rude disposition (caused by the emotional walls arising from her unhealed grief), she proves to be compassionate and self-sacrificing, choosing to risk her life for orders during the horrific situation even though she’s had many opportunities to escape to safety.

Zoe is such a complete badass, but is so in such a believable way.  She isn’t narratively superhuman.  She’s tenacious and tough, but she can – and does – take damage.  She’s competent, resourceful, and clever, but she’s not infallible, and consequences arise from her missteps.  Yeah, staying true to the Die Hard comparison, she’s a John McClane.

She’s also a Crystal (from The Hunt; most recent “Best Movie Heroine” Bernels winner), in the sense that she’s a true “strong woman character” – a character type that woke Hollywood is fond of actively producing in droves – but since she’s the wrong kind of feminist, critics won’t praise her in the same way they would gush over someone like The CW’s Batgirl.

But aside from getting the entertainment aspect right, it’s also quite thoughtful with its handling of its sensitive, nigh taboo subject matter.  There’s very graphic violence of a school shooting, yes, but it’s only done to the extent of truly serving a purpose to the story being told.  It doesn’t feel exploitative or gratuitous.

One can even argue that, in a way, this movie can be edifying.  By depicting a school shooting scenario that unfolds in a realistic manner, the narrative is able to deconstruct the SOPs put in place for school shooting, and thus, it exposes their shortcomings, which when compounded with the common media response to such events, actually make things worse.  At the very least, the movie raises points that deserve discussions.  But, of course, liberal critics will ignore it, since for them, guns are to be blamed for school shootings, and thus, the only valid argument is for guns to be banned.

The ending scene of the movie is a bit problematic for me, though.  While it’s a creative parallel to the opening scene and is very satisfying per se, its implication for Zoe is kind of detrimental to her arc and the “happy” note of its resolution.  For by (SPOILERS) sniping Tristan, wouldn’t that make her a murderer?  Will her status as a hero let her get away from any legal consequences?

In the end, I love Run Hide Fight.   The somewhat flawed ending doesn’t ruin the movie as a whole.  Well-acted, well-written, and well-directed, it kept me captivated from start to finish.   There is still a lot to go in 2021, but Run Hide Fight is so good, there’s a good chance it will still end up among my favorites by year end.