Writer-director Tom Botchii serves up a genre smorgasbord with his new film, “Relentless”. It’s fun to even consider the various thrillers it qualifies as. For starters it’s an action thriller, a revenge thriller, a psychological thriller, even a home invasion thriller. It dips its toe into exploitation cinema. It sometimes plays like a bruising character study. At other times you’ll swear you’re back in the grindhouse theaters of the late 1970s.

Whatever you consider it to be, far more important is that Botchii keeps things entertaining. “Relentless” might not live up to its name, and it certainly has its flaws, some of which become noticeable early on (more on them later). But Botchii’s vision and inspiration, helped by two firmly committed lead performances, keeps the audience engaged, even as the story struggles to fill its lean 93 minutes.

“Relentless” is a tightly focused two-hander that begins with introductions to its main characters. Teddy (Jeffrey Decker) is a homeless man living out of his car. We meet him as he’s listening to old voicemails from his ex-wife before going to sleep in his cramped backseat. Elsewhere, Jun (Shuhei Kinoshita) sits in his ultra-modern two-story home, enjoying a nice meal of fine sushi. He pecks away on his laptop before climbing into his warm comfy bed for the night.

Their two paths cross the next evening when Teddy shows up at Jun’s home posing as a salesman. After Jun brushes him off, Teddy forces his way inside with a sawed-off shotgun, stalking Jun like his prey. After a brief brawl, Jun grabs his precious laptop and flees into the night with Teddy in pursuit. Jun manages to get away but loses his laptop in the process. Determined to get it back, he follows Teddy to a gas station only to be knocked unconscious and kidnapped.

Jun wakes up tied to a chair in an old abandoned house with Teddy sitting across from him. From there the two men have a verbal standoff, with Jun swearing he doesn’t know who Teddy is and Teddy insisting he does. Botchii lets the mystery linger, leaving us with a number of consequential questions. Who are these two men? What is their connection? And what’s on this laptop that both seem fixated on? It makes for an intriguing setup with Botchii maneuvering Decker and Kinoshita like chess pieces until he’s ready to reveal more.

The eventual revelations catapult the story into an ultra-violent mano-a-mano showdown that isn’t afraid to let the blood gush. At the same time, the characters are never as fully-formed as they could be. Their individual pasts are merely referenced through exposition which doesn’t allow the story’s themes to resonate as they should. And it’s attempt at social commentary is wobbly at best, with certain motivations playing like wild swings rather than meaningful considerations.

As mentioned, “Relentless” does struggle to find enough story to fill its already lean 93 minutes. Botchii eats up some of the time with stylish visual flourishes that look good but are otherwise weightless and repetitive. Still, this is a solid sophomore effort from an ambitious filmmaker with an interesting vision. Botchii may not hit all of his marks, but he squeezes everything he can out his modest budget and two sturdy lead performances. And to his credit, he’s not afraid to take chances in the process.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

In the aftermath of a devastating forest fire, a cowboy who lost everything rediscovers what matters most in life. That’s a fitting summary of “Rebuilding”, the sophomore effort from writer-director Max Walker-Silverman. His latest film operates on the same quiet, delicate, and soulful wavelength as his debut feature, 2022’s sublime “A Love Song”. And in doing so, Walker-Silverman tells another heartfelt story that’s deeply rooted in the human experience.

I often find myself drawn to quiet, understated, and observant dramas from filmmakers with firmly human perspectives. “Rebuilding” is every bit of that. Led by a strikingly subtle Josh O’Connor lead performance, “Rebuilding” sits us down is a distinct setting and tells a rich character-centered story. But it’s the stillness, the patience, and the unvarnished honesty that sets it apart, bringing to mind the approaches of such classic auteurs as Robert Bresson and Vittorio De Sica.

Walker-Silverman sets his film in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, beginning with a sobering opening as his camera relays the aftermath of a devastating wildfire. Underneath the thick haze of smoke is a wasteland of ash with the occasional charred tree jaggedly pointing upward like a gnarled finger. It’s there that we meet Dusty Fraser (O’Connor), a cowboy who just lost his small family ranch in the blaze. Nearly all he has left are a few head of cattle which he is forced to sell at a local auction.

Through the scruffy and subdued O’Connor, we see the different sides of Dusty, both of which play a significant role in the story. Dusty is a man of dignity who takes pride in being a rancher as his dad was before him. So losing it all has a crushing impact. But he’s also a quiet, reticent man. And while we can see the defeated look in his eyes, he keeps is emotions pent up within him. It’s an impressive performance from O’Connor who speaks volumes, often without uttering a word.

In the midst of his despair, Dusty’s road to finding hope begins when he rekindles his relationship with his ex-wife Ruby (Meghann Fahy) and their daughter Callie Rose (Lily LaTorre). The movie’s title certainly speaks to survivors rebuilding after such a destructive disaster. But at its core, it’s Dusty rebuilding his relationship with Ruby and Callie Rose that forms the beating heart of the story. It’s here that Walker-Silverman’s patience pays the biggest dividends. He smartly lets their relationships breathe, allowing ample room for reconnection and healing.

Another impactful turn in Dusty’s journey comes when he relocates to a small temporary FEMA camp on a desert plain resting between the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Dusty moves into his cramped trailer and over time begins connecting with the small group of displaced survivors taking shelter at the camp. Not only does he find a new sense of community, but through them he discovers a new sense of purpose.

“Rebuilding” is full of small moments that leave big emotional impressions. Such as when Dusty and Callie Sue park outside a rural library to borrow the only free Wi-Fi in the area. Or when Dusty pays a visit to his beloved horse who is graciously being kept by a friend. Or nearly any time we see Amy Madigan as Ruby’s mom, Bess. She’s a gentle yet wise mother and grandmother who has a special affection for Dusty. Countless moments like these are woven into the very fabric of the film.

“Rebuilding” is a beautifully measured slice-of-life drama that moves with a quiet, heartfelt rhythm which is perfectly suited for the story it tells. The wildly versatile O’Connor gives one of his best performances while being surrounded by a well-tuned supporting cast. But Walker-Silverman drives it all, using a form of minimalism that relies on meditative pacing and a unique visual language. Through it he’s able to tell an affecting and resonating story of resilience and self-discovery. It’s impossible not to be moved.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

“The Running Man” is the second big screen adaptation of Stephen King’s 1982 novel of the same name. As many know, the first was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1987 action thriller which was set in the far distant future of 2017. This latest spin on King’s dystopian science-fiction comes from Edgar Wright, although fans of his might have a tough time finding his fingerprints. That’s not to say they aren’t there. But this feels much more like a studio product than a filmmaker’s unique vision.

The biggest strength of “The Running Man” is easy to spot. It’s found in its star, Glen Powell. The sudden everywhere-man oozes charisma and throws in splashes of maniacal charm that make the film easy to watch. He’s also an actor who fully commits to his movies which makes everything better, from the emotional family moments to the wild and crazy action set pieces. Yet while Powell puts in the work, he can’t make up for the frustrating script which oscillates from entertaining to kinda boring.

Pulling more from King’s novel than Arnie’s movie, “The Running Man” 2025 sees Wright leaning heavier into the dystopian setting, stuffing his story with as many sociopolitical issues as he can. The healthcare system, class division, wealth gaps, corporate corruption, labor unions, media misinformation, television violence, authoritarian control, government propaganda, and more. It’s a lot to cover and most of it has to settle for lip service rather than any worthwhile consideration.

Powell plays Ben Richards, a loving but frustrated husband and father. He was recently fired from his job at a steel mill for upsetting his crooked employers by exposing a life-threatening yet costly work hazard. At home, his 2-year-old daughter has been sick with the flu leading Ben’s wife Sheila (Jayme Lawson) to work double shifts and two jobs in hopes of affording medicine. It’s a brutal situation which throws gas on the already burning fury inside of Ben who just wants to take care of his precious family.

Desperate for money, Ben travels to the upper-class district to try out for one of several reality game shows ran by a corporate media organization called The Network. He’s offered a spot on their most popular and most dangerous show, “The Running Man”. It’s a violent and deadly event where contestants known as “runners” are released into the city. They try and stay alive for thirty days as crowd-pleasing “Hunters” track them down to kill in front of a television audience. Any runner who can survive the thirty days will win a billion “new dollars”. Of course, no one has ever won.

To add incentive, runners can earn bonus “new dollars” by killing Hunters. But adding to the peril, citizens sighting the runners can earn cash prizes for reporting their whereabouts. So Ben and two throwaway runners are released into the city, wrapping up what is a really solid setup to the story. The early scenes are aided by several entertaining side characters. More specifically, Josh Brolin’s amusingly shady Dan Killian, the show’s creator and producer, and Colman Domingo as the show’s flamboyant host.

From there “The Running Man” falls into a pretty simple formula as Ben is ushered from one action set piece to another. At each stop he’s aided by some sympathetic soul who helps pave the way for him to become a reluctant revolutionary who will take the fight to the oppressive system. Unfortunately his unexpected allies add more to the sociopolitical landscape than to progressing the story in a meaningful way.

Among Ben’s newfound allies is Bradley Throckmorton (Daniel Ezra), an underground influencer who secretly posts videos exposing the truth of “The Running Man”. Ben also encounters Elton Parrakis (Michael Cera), a quirky guerrilla activist who is secretly building his own solo revolution against The Network. Then there is Amelia (Emilia Jones), a 37-year-old realtor who essentially comes out of nowhere. None are especially important story pieces outside of reciting anti-establishment monologues and adding a little humor.

Wright drags things out a little too long before finally wrapping it up with a cobbled together ending that doesn’t quite deliver the payoff it needs. It’s unfortunate because the action scenes are a lot of fun and Powell brings more than enough to the table to be entertaining. But “The Running Man” gets stuck in between being thematically overstuffed and playfully action-packed, while lacking that extra pizzazz we’ve come to expect from Edgar Wright films.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS