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[tab title="Movie Review"]
Your body will always fight AGAINST you. With those words, one woman learns more about herself than any book could ever tell her. And it is a good thing, too, as director Philip S. Plowden’s debut, Range Runners, pulls us into a survival story that is all heart and determination.
Range Runners, with a standout performance from Celeste M. Cooper as Mel, puts us on an endurance trek alongside the young woman as she attempts to jog a 2,200 mile-long trail on her own. Eight days out in the wilderness! With no cell phone service and only a survival pack with which to live on, Mel has only herself and the determination instilled within her many years ago by her father, an athletic coach, to get her through the grueling endeavor.
Isolation and intuition are her only guides here. Her family questions her sanity and her willingness to put herself through this ordeal, but Mel would have it no other way. She enjoys the trials on the trail and the brush with the unexpected . . .
. . . which makes her encounter with two criminals hiding out in the woods, Wayland (Sean Patrick Leonard) and Jared (Michael B. Woods), unforgettable. Plowden creates the scene with expertise, allowing us to KNOW exactly what she is thinking before she offers assistance. It’s a great scene, showcasing one of Plowden’s many talents in creating mood and atmosphere through this thriller.
Mel eventually stops to help one of them - knowing that she probably shouldn’t - but she, in spite of what her family tells her, is a good person; a just person; and that’s what makes what happens to her so damn heartbreaking. The two men startle and attack her; robbing her of her belongings. They leave her with no food and no water and, with the threat of bears looming, she finds herself at odds with her own determination.
She has a choice to make: she’s been left for dead and could crawl home in defeat, but that’s not what Mel does. She comes roaring back with the fierce determination of her father and, yes, vengeance will be hers. You will applaud and stand up and cheer Mel on as she takes back what was stolen from her. This film might be predictable in its patterns, but it absolutely delivers a KILLER punch to the jaw as all the elements come together to present an unforgettable film.
With the character of Mel, screenwriter Devon Colwell, has crafted a unique character that IMMEDIATELY has all of our support and all of our attention as she blasts through all the limits of what we believe is possible. The trial that she goes through - convinced that she CAN do it - is excruciating, but she has all the goodwill the screen can muster from its audience and the movie - or should I say the journey - delivers in spades when it comes to revenge.
Co-starring Tiffany Renee Johnson, Range Runners - set to release September 8 from Dark Star Pictures and Uncork’d Entertainment - might be a low budget survival thriller, but none of that will matter once it begins. This is high quality entertainment that rewards viewers with a film that ABSOLUTELY matters.
Left for Dead. Back for Vengeance. Mel is not taking shit from anyone anymore. Range Runners is proof positive.
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[tab title="Film Details"]
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 94 mins
Director: Philip S. Plowden
Writer: Devon Colwell
Cast: Celeste M Cooper, Sean Patrick Leonard, Michael B. Woods
Genre: Sports | Drama
Tagline: Take Back What's Yours.
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Dark Star Pictures and Uncork’d Entertainment.
Official Site:
Release Date: September 8, 2020
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: A woman thru-hiking an isolated trail runs into trouble when her pack is hijacked by two men hiding out in the woods, desperate and on the run. Now, stranded and left to fend for herself, she has a choice: crawl back to her normal life in defeat, or push forward and take back what was stolen from her.
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