A teenage girl suffering from anxiety due to a tragic event from her past finds herself hunted through the woods by a sociopath on a murderous rampage.
Director: Michelle Schumacher
Writers :Carolyn CarpenterMichelle Schumacher
Stars :J.K. Simmons,Fernanda Urrejola,Allen Leech
STORY
The great J.K. Simmons has slowly and steadily moved into that special category of actors who I will watch in anything. The Oscar-winning Simmons has appeared in nearly 250 productions that span movies, television, stage, and even video games. Perhaps most impressive is his ability to excel in any genre. Whether it’s superhero movies, dark comedies, adult dramas, gritty action films, or animated family features, you’re liable to see Simmons in anything. And you can guarantee that he’ll be good in it.
His latest film does a good job proving my point. From director (and Simmons’ real-life wife) Michelle Schumacher, “You Can’t Run Forever” sees the actor letting loose in a juicy role that may catch some people by surprise. He plays a mysterious serial killer who goes on a murderous rampage in rural Montana, eventually targeting and hunting a terrified young girl. Co-written by Schumacher and Carolyn Carpenter, the story makes good use of its Northwest setting and even better use of Simmons, who remains a chilling presence even as things start to go off the rails.
“You Can’t Run Forever” opens with a bang (several of them actually). A man on a motorcycle (Simmons) pulls up to a country gas station to fill up his tank. There he guns down three people in a manner that almost indicates some warped moral code. He willingly leaves two witnesses and then rides away. It’s a shrewdly brutal cold open that immediately and firmly establishes Simmons’ character in our minds.
From there were introduced to Miranda (Isabelle Anaya), a young teen who suffers from panic attacks following a recent trauma. After her divorce, Miranda’s loving mother Jenny (Fernanda Urrejola) remarried to the kindhearted Eddie (Allen Leech). Both have daughters from previous marriages and are now expecting a child of their own. For Miranda, adjusting to this new family has been a struggle.
In an effort to spend some quality time together, Eddie takes Miranda with him on a day trip to pick up a new bassinet. While taking a bathroom break at a rest stop, they encounter the strange man from the opening scene. It only takes a few minutes for their encounter to turn violent. Miranda flees deep into the Montana forest with the unhinged killer stalking her like a predator does his prey. To survive she’ll need to conquer her anxiety and find an inner-strength she never knew she had.
The story unfolds on two fronts. While Miranda runs for her life in the woods, the news reaches Jenny and Eddie’s daughter Emily (Olivia Simmons) back home. Meanwhile two dutiful yet overwhelmed young deputies, Morgan (Andres Velez) and Dwyer (Graham Patrick Martin), feel their way through the investigation while waiting for the new sheriff to arrive. They’re well-meaning but at times shockingly incompetent to the point that they almost feel like a parody.
Both sides of the story work together yet have their own weaknesses. For instance, some of the choices made by the deputies and Miranda’s family will have you shaking your head. And there are a couple of miscalculations later that don’t quite have their desired effect. Take Miranda’s encounter with mushrooms which leads to a drug trip sequence that doesn’t land as intended. These gripes don’t derail the movie, but they do take your attention away from what it does well.
As far as pacing, following a strong opening and a solid middle act, the film loses some steam in the final stretch. But it picks itself up and ends with a tense though conventional finish. Even with its hiccups, Schumacher makes some savvy choices that energize her movie. For example, we never learn much about the killer beyond vague hints at what might have pushed him over the edge. That may frustrate some, but I found it made him more unsettling. And a lot of credit goes to Simmons who gives us a cold-hearted yet cryptic antagonist. It’s yet another great performance from one of the most consistently good actors working today.