Movie Monday - Gal Gadot is on the Brink in 'The Runner'

Actress Gal Godot got completely roasted by critics for her portrayal of the Evil Queen in Disney’s Snow White remake. This fall she stars in a very different type of movie playing a loving mother willing to do anything for her child. In other movie news, The Odyssey dominated the theaters (read my review!), but the disappointing Moana remake still came in second place.

WHAT’S INSIDE:

Can the former Wonder Woman overcome her Evil Queen role from Snow White?
Last Weekend’s Top 10 movies
Movies opening this weekend
Quick reviews – including The Odyssey
Upcoming movie releases

FIRST LOOK:

The Runner

Gal Gadot talking on the phone on a subway train. — Gal Gadot in *The Runner (Amazon MGM Studios)*

Gal Gadot is shaking things off after appearing as the Evil Queen in the controversial, live action, Disney flop, Snow White. The former Wonder Woman is now running for her (son’s) life in The Runner. Hopefully this psychological thriller will be a hit, but the Amazon MGM Studios movie debuts on Prime Video this fall instead of theaters. That is not enough to go on, but it’s not a good sign.

The title alone could be better. There are ten other movies on the streamer with the same title. (Okay, one is actually titled The Runners and two others are from The Maze Runner franchise, but still…) The trailer (below) convinces me to watch.

Rory Wilmot and Gal Gadot in the thriller suspense-action, The Runner. (Amazon MGM Studios)

Amazon MGM Studios describes the picture as follows:

In the pulse-pounding psychological thriller The Runner, Maia Marten (Gal Gadot) has built her life on being one step ahead – a sharp, resourceful, high-powered lawyer at the top of London’s legal world.

During her routine morning run, a single phone call shatters her world: her son has been taken. The instructions to get him back are simple and merciless – keep moving, follow every command, and tell no one. Stop, and he dies. Forced to sprint through the city and obey a series of sinister commands, Maia must confront an impossible question: how far will she go to bring her son home?

Set against the backdrop of London’s hyper-connect streets, The Runner is a visceral, high-stakes race where every second counts, every choice carries a price, and a mother’s unstoppable love becomes the most dangerous weapon of all.

The trailer makes me tired just watching it.

Directed by Kevin Macdonald (2021’s The Mauritanian and the upcoming Oprah documentary), The Runner stars Gal Galdot, Damian Lewis, Rory Wilmot, Alfred Enoch. The movie begins streaming on Amazon Prime September 2. 2026.

WEEKEND TOP 10 MOVIES

The Odyssey movie poster — *(Universal)*

Moana movie poster for 2026. — *(Walt Disney Pictures)*

Movie poster for "Toy Story 5" — *(Disney/Pixar)*

**For the Weekend of July 17-19, 2026*.**

The Odyssey / $124,500,000
Moana / $19,000,000
(Tie) Toy Story 5 / $14,800,000
(Tie) Minions & Monsters / $14,800.000
Evil Dead Burn / $5,000,000
The Invite / $3,905,909
Young Washington / $3,678,487
Obsession / $2,500,000
Supergirl / $1,525,000
Disclosure Day / $1,450,000

*According to Comscore.

OPENING THIS WEEKEND

July 24: The Dink (Apple TV)

RECENT MOVIE REVIEWS

The Odyssey

The Odyssey is an action/adventure film, this is true, but it is also emotional theater. There is a feeling of dread from the first moment the movie begins. The dread doesn’t let up until just before the credits roll. It is as enjoyable as it is sobering.

Read the Review >>>

Michael

If I had to come up with only one word to describe this biopic it would be “sad”. The story isn’t all bleak, but Michael Jackson spent his whole life looking for happiness and I doubt that he ever found it.

Read the Review >>>

The Sheep Detectives

This is an adult story that children are welcomed to join in. Much like a classic animated Disney tale, The Sheep Detectives is truly a story that all ages will enjoy.

Read the Review >>>

Supergirl

Parents wanting to take their little girls to see Supergirl to enjoy some “girl power” should think again. Maybe the next one, but in this PG-13 film, Kara is hardly a role model. Not only that, but Supergirl is quite violent and intense.

Read the Review >>>