Running Through Darkness (2018) User Reviews

Engaging

[jodymortara-1 · 7/10 · 22 March 2023]

This was a simple story with a very likable leading man. His 'regular' demeanor was refreshing and made him quite likable. I felt for him. He was in over his head and was just doing the best he could. The relationship between him and the female lead never quite jelled for me. She gave a good performance. She reminded me a bit of Zooey Deschanel. That, "I don't care" attitude, which worked for this role. And it made her turn at the end plausible. She gave a solid performance.

The overall film held my attention and kept me wanting to watch to see what would happened. I think a thriller is a hard film to make and Peter O'brien did a good job of keeping things moving and making the audience feel off balance as we wondered what nasty thing might befall either character.

Enjoyable indie thriller

[adorjanmarcel · 5/10 · 2 October 2023]

Our main protagonist goes out for a jog and finds an old flame beaten by the side of the road. She asks for his help, to kill the man who hurt her. He looks into this guy who turns out to be a proper nutcase. But suddenly he is in danger because this volatile guy wants something from him. Now both his morality and his will to survive are challenged and he must decide on how to get out of this nightmare. We follow his struggle, question his reasoning and ultimately root for him to survive this ordeal.

Despite the budget constraints I feel that this indie has achieved what it set to do, pull us into the world of deceit and despair, where we root for the protagonist to come out alive.

Quite A Disappointment.....

[wandernn1-81-683274 · 2/10 · 7 June 2020]

Okay the beginning is stupid. You find some girl in an alley you don't take her home with you. Sorry but that just doesn't happen.

-1 Star For a Dumb Opening......

-1 Star For the Bizarre 'Kill Triangle' crap.

-1 Star for WOWZO...the incredibly fake fight scene about 2/3 of the way thru. That fakery should have been reshot. I've seen better fights in the reenactments at a Renaissance Faire.

This one is about to fall off the seat and into the toilet bowl!!!!!

Oh my I made it to the end and the end was lame as well.

Really did not like this one at all....

2/10

When you make bad movies like this, it scares the movie studios into sticking with comic book movies.

[jamesiha-87993 · 2/10 · 15 June 2020]

This was just so bad. The acting was bad, the sound effects were non-existent, and the story was super basic. There's several bad scenes that stick out: the one where the bad guy shows the good guy a family and relates their situation to them, the silent fight scene, and who could forget the father/son bonding moment! This is worse than made for TV movies. I wish Amazon Prime would stop tricking me into watching movies like this.

How people give this 8"s, 9"s or 10"s is baffling

[igoinsane67 · 1/10 · 20 June 2020]

This is absolutely garbage. Acting is subpar. Either the writing is horrible or the edit left out some key elements because there are so many plot holes. Things that don't make sense. It's barely worth the time to even punch in these words.

An impressive indie....

[Bea_EH · 8/10 · 11 June 2020]

Ok, it is clearly not a Hollywood production. The license plates say Nebraska for crying out loud! I'm sure that is where they filmed it and all things considered, it's pretty freaking good.

The no-name cast are probably all local theater people, and that's awesome! The biggest "name" in the film is some guy who was in Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July - and it wasn't Charlie Sheen or Tom Cruise. In fact, this was a lot better than anything they've turned out in the past few years.

Technically the film moves at a very good pace and the cinematography was impressive for such a small movie. Oh, and the score was SPOT on for every scene.

It's not perfect, but it's just as good as other low/no budget films (El Mariachi/Following) from people that went on to become big time directors.

A social (and RACIAL) triumph!!!

[Jamal1992 · 9/10 · 17 June 2020]

All too often you see people of color portrayed in films as either racial stereotypes, or scapegoats for racial stereotypes. This film stands tall and just tells a simple story about people in an insane situation. It was so great to see a black protagonist not bound by social expectations. I kept waiting for that to come into play and it never did. A great surprise. Very progressive.

Character and casting aside, the film itself is pretty impressive. It reminded me of what independent films were like, before celebrities started making them their pet projects. Obviously no one famous was involved. I didn't recognize anyone in the film, which helped lend credibility to the characters and situations. There were some very tense moments between the main character and the bad guy.

One thing that really stood out to me was the music. It hit in all the right places and set a perfect tone for the film. OH! And the chase scene was a lot of fun, too. Thank you to the filmmakers for putting out such a truly independent film. A lot better than most of the stuff I've seen in the theaters (and online) lately.

Must see!

[mariobri · 10/10 · 10 September 2018]

This, by far, is more than another independent film! It is a gem of work from the storyline to the cinematography, to the soundtrack. Peter O'Brien has accomplished a very good feature film. This was premiered at The Nyack Film Festival, Nyack, New York this past August. Running Through Darkness won "Best Feature Length Film' and 'Best Soundtrack!'

A Fun and Suspenseful Ride

[dtittone · 9/10 · 22 April 2023]

Writer and Director Peter O'Brien's suspense thriller "Running Through Darkness" provides an entertaining and intriguing suspense thriller. Peter O'Brien continues to prove that he can create high quality films with little resources. With a budget of only five thousand dollars, Peter O'Brien skillfully crafts a suspense thriller and directs a great cast, including Corkey Ford (Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July). The camerawork, the score, and the crisp editing all help to elevate this film and to provide for a fun viewing experience. I hope that Peter O'Brien has more features lined up in the near future.

Kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat

[jedijimmy101 · 9/10 · 17 March 2023]

I was engaged from start to finish. I loved the cinematography it gave the whole movie a very rich cinematic feel. I loved the classic mustang. The Actors were all fantastic especially the lead. The story was engaging and original. I love discovering well made Indie gems like these. It was great seeing a movie shot in Nebraska, I can't say I've ever seen a movie shot in Nebraska before. I loved the chase scene and the action was exciting and well choreographed. The poster caught my eye and the film itself did not disappoint. I highly recommend this movie to anyone looking for a well shot and well written indie thriller.

Dark and Intense

[kjs1144 · 8/10 · 1 October 2023]

Running Through Darkness is a dark and effective thriller with a story that will keep you guessing. A man tries to help a woman, who then makes him an ominous proposition. He gets sucked in to a world of threats, crime, and violence. The story goes to some really unexpected and dark places that I did not expect. It really will keep you on the edge of you seat as you try to guess the twists and turns. The writing was very effective in this way. The directing was very good also. The cinematography was fantastic, most especially during an epic foot chase sequence. If you're looking for a thrilling adventure, this film is your ticket.

Running Through Darkness is worth the watch.

[mettlesetdesigner · 8/10 · 7 July 2023]

I ran across this crime thriller on the streaming service Tubi and although it is an older movie (2018) it does a great job at bucking social norms and expectations. Definitely ahead of it's time. Running Through Darkness is a tale of an ordinary guy Calvin (played by Landon Beard), who discovers a beaten and left for dead woman Robin (played by Lillian Bornstein), and he is immediately pulled into her dark and dangerous world. I don't want to give away any spoilers but I will tell you this indie gem is worth a watch. I give the cast and crew two thumbs up and recommend this movie to anyone who likes a thrilling crime drama.

Interesting movie

[travisgrenke · 9/10 · 7 March 2023]

Just watched the movie. Kudos to the strong lead actor for showing such a strong variety of talents-- strong emotional scenes and also strong physical acting scenes.

Some of the scenes gave me a lot to really think about. I was able to reflect on how I treated a few of my friends recently.

I liked the music selections and I thought they helped advance the story along.

The pacing could've been a bit faster in a couple scenes, but it helped the actors feel the emotional impact- so it wasn't that bad.

I liked the dialogue between the actors and also a nice storyline that kept me intrigued.

Give it a watch!

Running Through Darkness ain't your typical jam!

[scanscapework · 9/10 · 23 November 2023]

I stumbled on while chillin' on Tubi. Yeah, it's an oldie but it fresh, but let me tell ya, it ain't playin' by the rules. Running Through Darkness ain't your typical jam-it's breakin' all them societal expectations, ya feel me? It's ahead of its time, straight up. So, here's the deal: it's about this regular dude Calvin, played by Landon Beard, who comes across this messed-up chick, Robin, played by Lillian Bornstein. She's been left for dead, and bam! Calvin gets sucked into her shady, messed-up world, yo. No spoilers, but lemme tell ya, this indie gem's a real eye-opener. It's worth a watch, no cap.