Movie Review: Runt (2019)

Synopsis: High school senior Cal has a deceased dad, a mom he rarely sees and is constantly bullied at school by members of the football team, especially the star quarterback, Vic. The only things he has going for him as he waits until graduation and the opportunity to escape via college are his new girlfriend, Cecily, and the stray dog he adopted, Runt. When his confrontations with Vic lead to both Cecily and Runt becoming victims, it triggers a downward and violent spiral Cal may not be able to recover from.

Who's in it? The movie stars Cameron Boyce, Jason Patric, Aramis Knight, Gabrielle Haugh, Cyrus Arnold, Charlie Gillespie and Brianna Hildebrand.

Review: My wife decided to pick out last night's movie and ultimately settled on Runt, which was a film she saw a clip from some time ago and added to our library. I don't think the movie turned out to be what she was expecting it to be. It turned out to be, however, an intriguing albeit depressing drama.

What helped this movie the most were the interesting characters. Cal (Boyce) wasn't what I would have expected a movie's version of a bullied person to be. Despite his home life, he wasn't socially awkward, had a best friend and, eventually, even a girlfriend. He just had a group of students who didn't seem to like him all that much, except when they were copying off his homework.

Meanwhile, the main bully, Vic (Knight) had a surprising amount of depth. I wouldn't describe him as a good guy by any means, but it was clear some of his bullying was the direct result of being bullied by his coach and the pressure of being a person who's only hope of going anywhere rested on an athletic scholarship. 

Plus, in all fairness, Cal did push some buttons he probably shouldn't have pushed, especially regarding actions involving Vic's girlfriend, Gabriella (Hildebrand). Honestly, Cal's stalker-like obsession with her could have just as easily made him a villain in a different film. 

I liked how the movie kept Cal's spiral constant but also at a slower pace, something that made it more realistic. My wife and I already knew the spoiler involving his dog, Runt, and were waiting for that to be the final straw but there were plenty of other times when it would have also been justified, including when Vic assaulted Cecily and it made me wonder just how he was keeping it together. Then, when Cal finally does snap, there were a few unexpected twists that kept the movie from becoming too predictable.

I did feel as though the movie downplayed Cal's toxic friendship with Borgie (Arnold), who was basically the lynchpin that caused most of the drama to unfold, whether it was insisting Cal attend a party at Vic's house (despite no possible way that would end well) or leading Cal to believe Vic was the person who sabotaged his bike and cost him his job. I can't even begin to describe how frustrated I was when he continued to make things worse and still walked away without any sort of comeuppance, especially since I'm not convinced it wasn't on purpose.

I also wasn't a huge fan of the overall ending. There was the whole unanswered question about what was going to happen next, which I felt left a few too many things up in the air. Plus, I honestly thought this movie needed some sort of twist - such as it not being Vic who harmed Runt and, instead, his coach (Patric), seeking revenge for Cal injuring his starting quarterback and costing him his perfect season. 

Final Opinion: It's an interesting film with some powerful and believable characters. There were a few things I wish it would have explored in a bit more detail, but it is still a movie that is worth taking the time to watch.

My Grade: B

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Here are some reviews of other movies from 2019:

Movie Review: In the Tall Grass (2019)

Movie Review: Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)

Movie Review: Child's Play (2019)

Movie Review: Beast Within (2019)