Run, the forgotten drama starring Olivia Colman and Lennie James, is trending in the UK after landing a new streaming home. Billed as “gritty” and “haunting”, this is one you won’t want to miss.
The anthology series consists of four separate stories, with each one centring on a character who is faced with a tough decision. Across the drama, topics range from addiction to single parenthood.
Originally released on Channel 4 in 2012, the drama is currently streaming in the UK on ITVX, and it has proved to be a success in terms of viewership as it has reached the #3 position in the streamer’s charts.
In addition to Colman and James, who portray Carol and Richard respectively, the cast for Run includes Jaime Winstone and Katie Leung; the scripts for each episode were written by Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan and Marlon Smith.
The synopsis for the first episode, which features Colman, reads: “Carol is a tough single mother striving to keep her family together. When her teenage sons commit an act of random violence that ends in the death of a stranger, Carol faces the impossible choice of protecting her children or doing the right thing.”
Channel 4
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Though not widely watched by professional critics at the time of its release, Run has proved to be popular with general audiences, with IMDb currently reporting an impressive user rating of 7.4 out of 10 from 200 reviews.
“It isn’t often that a drama manages to capture such a dark and tragic atmosphere, while still maintaining a deep emotional core,” wrote one user, who called it “gritty” and “fundamentally compelling”.
Channel 4
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“Over the course of each forty three minute episode, the creators and actors alike are able to brilliantly capture the characters to an extent, that by the end, we, the audience, feel as though we have known them all our lives,” said another viewer.
Another user was also full of praise, writing: “This makes the grit real, it creates empathy on a level that would usually be registered and the sliding door effect, creates the ripple. Great series for those who like actors at their best!”
Run is streaming now on ITVX.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. Â His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
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