The Runner does not take long to explain what it intends to do. Maia Marten, played by Gal Gadot, receives a phone call, learns that her son has been kidnapped, and begins obeying orders from an unknown voice, played by Damian Lewis. She must keep running through London, follow every command, and tell no one. From that moment on, the film turns the city into an obstacle course and its protagonist into a heroine forced to think while struggling to catch her breath.

The premise is completely familiar, and the screenplay does not seem particularly interested in disguising that fact. We have already seen desperate mothers, kidnappers controlling their victims over the phone, races against the clock, and threats that become more dangerous with every attempt to fight back. The real question, then, is never exactly what is happening. What keeps The Runner moving is discovering how Maia will manage to escape and when the inevitable twists promised by the genre will arrive.

In that sense, the film delivers exactly what it promises. It moves quickly, maintains the tension and never pretends that a much more complex story is hiding beneath the surface. Kevin Macdonald directs the action efficiently, using London as part of the chase and exploring the physical exhaustion of a protagonist who must remain in motion even when she can no longer distinguish strategy, manipulation and desperation.

But there is one very clear condition: The Runner depends entirely on Gal Gadot. Either you buy into her presence, root for Maia and agree to follow her throughout this long race, or you will want to run in the opposite direction. There is no major subplot and no supporting character capable of shifting the focus. Even Damian Lewis, although crucial in establishing the threat, functions primarily as the voice controlling the game. From beginning to end, the film belongs to Gadot.

She commits herself physically to the role — even breaking her foot during filming — and is most effective precisely when Maia stops looking like a perfectly prepared heroine and reveals the fear of a mother who does not know whether each decision is bringing her closer to or farther away from her son. It is not a surprising performance, but it is convincing within the demands of the thriller.

The Runner is certainly not one of the best films of the month, much less of the year. Nor does it offer an original premise, an unforgettable twist or any ambition to reinvent the genre. Still, amid a sea of options that sometimes demand more time than they deserve, it can work as fast, disposable entertainment. You watch, wait for the twists, follow Gal Gadot as she runs through London and reach the end without many regrets — as long as you are not expecting to find anything cinema has not already covered many times before.