Darkstar Pictures
Is it always bad to be predictable? Is it always a problem if you can predict the ending or the story beats? Or sometimes, does that very ‘meeting expectations’ feel like you can be pleased with yourself in the end for figuring it all out?
Range Runners, written in his debut feature by Devon Colwell and directed with his debut feature by Philip S. Plowder, is often predictable, yes, but it’s predictable in a way that’s consistently entertaining. The movie follows Mel (Celeste M. Cooper) as she heads off onto a long, isolated hiking trail to face the elements and prove to herself she can do it. Her sister, who drops her off, thinks she’s nuts, but is still supportive. But Mel keeps remembering her practice as a runner when she was a teenager, with a coach who pushed beyond reasonable limits.
Throughout the movie, we dip back to the coach forcing young-Mel to go harder and harder still, and it always connects to something Mel’s trying to overcome. At first we see Mel literally running through woods at a punishing pace, carrying a heavy pack stuffed with everything she needs for days in the woods. Despite doing something I’d never willingly do, Mel is already supremely capable.
She happens across two random strangers on the path, both injured and acting oddly. One is a thin, nervous, bug-eyed type named Jared (Michael B. Woods), and larger, more abrasive fellow named Wayland (Sean Patrick Leonard). After helping Jared out, she runs off until making camp for herself. But then the two guys show up again and rob her, stealing her pack and all her supplies except for her water. Jared is apologetic while Wayland is forceful and rude, but they are clearly in the middle of something bad.
So Mel is alone, injured, and with no more supplies or even food left. So she decides to push further than perhaps she thought possible with the only option left to her: Take vengeance and get her stuff back.
Although Mel barely says much about her struggles to herself, we can see the difficulty on her face, and the flashbacks help to contextualize her fight. Celeste M. Cooper is really great here, emotive and sincere, utterly believable as a badass trying to overcome pain, injury, and strife. The movie is shot really quite well, especially for a first time director, and feels coherent and easy to follow. With that plus great soundwork, all those hits Mel takes hit you hard as well.
There are few little twists and turns as the movie progresses and we learn a little about what’s going on with the dudes, but the movie keeps it mostly vague. Because it’s not really important why these two guys are awful to Mel, it’s about rooting for her as she tries to survive.
Some of the messages are pretty simple too, explicitly spoken during her flashbacks, but the performances and editing pull you into the world enough that you too will be rooting for Mel to succeed and hopefully kick some ass too. It’s not as resonant as, say, The Grey but this is a survival tale with a touch of meaning and a boatload of badassery. Celeste M. Cooper hasn’t been acting in much of note other than some recurring characters on a few TV shows, but I thought she was a real standout here — hoping for even better things in the future for her.
Range Runners has a run time of 1 hour 51 minutes and is not rated.
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