Movie Review: Run Sweetheart Run

credit: Run Sweetheart Run

There are a few moments within this movie that feel as though they might have touched upon a theme that is less than desirable to a lot of people, but otherwise, this is a horror movie like many others in that it features a protagonist, an antagonist, and a driving need for the former to find a way to eradicate the latter. Cherie, a working woman and a mother that hasn’t dated in quite a while, is asked by her boss to attend to a client, as it would appear that he’s double-booked his anniversary and dinner with the client.

Of course, with this being a horror movie, a lot of people likely figured out rather quickly that this wasn’t the case, but as the movie progressed past the point of the date, there might have been a little confusion on the part of those who enjoy a horror movie that makes a person think, while others might have simply tried to enjoy the game of cat and mouse that Ethan played with Cherie since thinking too hard about it might have forced people to ask questions that the movie doesn’t really answer. 

credit: Run Sweetheart Run

It’s tough to know how to feel about this movie. 

When two men out of the entire movie appear to be understanding and willing to help the female protagonist, it does give off a certain feeling that men simply aren’t to be trusted, especially when Cheri’s friend hands her taser with the understanding that even a nice-looking man is still a man.

It might be that some will read too much into this and think that the movie does explore the idea of believing that all men are simply out to harm a woman, but there are a few undertones in the movie that make it clear that men are not to be trusted unless there’s no other choice. Again, that might not be the idea that the director was going for, but it comes off in this manner simply because the antagonist is a man who can apparently control other men. 

The ‘we are women, hear us roar’ vibe is definitely there. 

There’s nothing wrong with strong women, to be fair, since they help to make the movie even more interesting than it might have initially been. Yet, there are times when the empowered woman, or women, vibe becomes a detriment to the story since it feels a little too forced and not as natural as it should be.

Ethan is a dark and foreboding character that’s easy to dislike and even easier to root against since, as a domineering and cocky individual, he comes off as a great villain. Unfortunately, the empowered woman vibe that comes through later in the movie feels like something that should have been present throughout the entire movie.

Instead, it comes in late and ends up feeling as though it was injected simply because the movie needed a bit of ‘girl power’ and was therefore subjected to the idea that it could explain away everything that had come before. Obviously, it was planned this way, but this found like poor planning at best. 

credit: Run Sweetheart Run

Cherie isn’t exactly a strong woman, but she has a lot of help. 

Cherie doesn’t come off as a strong, independent woman, though she does present herself as someone who is doing her best to make certain that she can take care of her child and herself as much as possible. Her friend, who shows up to babysit her child when she has to rush off to meet with a client, is definitely the type that misses the good old days before her friend’s life changed and motherhood became so important.

Her other friend, who she had an apparent falling out with, is also there for her when needed, as are several random women at a club where she seeks to escape Ethan by cleansing herself and stealing another set of clothes. She’s smart, she’s capable, but at the same time, Cherie is not strong enough to deal with Ethan on her own, as she becomes the bait for the First Lady, who informs Cherie upon their meeting of who and what Ethan is. 

The movie is one of those that come off as campy but also entertaining in a simple sort of way. 

What appears campy to one person might not appear the same way to another, especially since the idea of female empowerment tends to come and go in this movie. But there are several moments during this feature when the feel of it tends to go off the rails a bit, especially when it comes to the idea that Ethan can get to Cherie any time and anywhere he likes and isn’t bothered by traditional means when it comes to his supernatural heritage. All in all, it’s not a horrible movie, but it’s wise not to expect too much.