“Runner” is an entertaining buddy comedy action film.

It’s a somewhat surprising mainstream entry from Angel, the movie studio that produces the television series, “The Chosen” (2025-present), about the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, and the feature film, “Sound of Freedom” (2023), based on a true story about human trafficking.

Angel, which bills itself as a faith-based movie company, has released unconventional and often-artistically and content-worthy films, including “Cabrini” (2024), based on the true story of a Catholic missionary; “Sketch” (2024), an animation, live action film; “The Senior” (2025), based on the true story about a senior citizen who tried out for an American college football team; “Truth & Treason” (2025), based on the true story about a German teen who opposed the Nazi regime, and “Solo Mio” (2026), about a groom left at the altar in Italy.

I saw the aforementioned films and generally gave them favorable reviews. You can do a search for the reviews on the Lehigh Valley Press website.

Is there an Angel movie brand? Not necessarily.

What sets Angel movies apart is an originality of subject material, traditional story-telling techniques and old-fashioned family appeal (think Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures films of the 1950s and 1960s).

“Runner” is a throwback to 1980s’ and 1990s’ Hollywood action film heroes: Arnold Schwarzenegger (“The Terminator,” 1984), Sylvester Stallone (“Rambo,” 1985) and Bruce Willis (“Die Hard,” 1988), to name the big three.

The title of the movie “Runner” does not refer to jogging or running a marathon.

A runner, as defined by a title card at the start of the film, is one who is hired to transport something or someone, whether legal or otherwise.

Alan Ritchson plays the movie’s title character, the runner, Hank Malone, a former Army Special Forces soldier, who is living and working in Brisbane, Australia.

Hank is tasked to transport Ben Bishop (Owen Wilson), who is carrying a medical canister that contains a liver, intended for Ellie (Scarlett Crabtree), a hospitalized girl awaiting a liver transplant.

Things get complicated when Hank and Ben are trailed by a Colombian drug cartel gang (who look as though they escaped from a “Mad Max” movie), led by Damian (Rodrigo Santoro), who wants to divert the liver to the female leader of the gang, his mother (Cecilia Toussaint), who needs a liver transplant.

If the plot sounds rather implausible, not to worry. “Runner” speeds along at a break-neck speed in keeping with the film’s title.

There are several theater seat-gripping vehicle chase scenes with the cartel’s shiny black Ranger Rovers speeding down highways and city streets chasing the used tan Toyota SUV with Hank at the wheel and Ben in the back seat clutching the precious container.

These scenes are inter-cut with the girl languishing in her hospital bed as her mother Kate (Leila George) tearfully looks on.

There are fight and gun battles scenes emblematic of the action-film genre.

“Runner” is directed by Scott Waugh (director, “The Expendables 4,” 2023; “Need for Speed” 2014; “Act of Valor,” 2012) from a rapid-fire screenplay by Miles Hubley and Tommy White (in their feature film screenplay debuts).

Cinematographer Lorenzo Senatore (Cinematographer, “Lucky Strike,” 2026) uses closeups for the actors’ faces and skewed camera angles for the action sequences.

Editor Matt Villa (Oscar nominee, editing, “Elvis,” 2022; editor: “The Lego Batman Movie,” 2017; “The Great Gatsby,” 2013) keeps the pace bristling.

Composer Charlie Nguyen Kim enhances the tension with orchestral flourishes.

With “Runner,” Alan Ritchson (TV’s “Reacher,” 2022-’26; joins the pantheon of action heroes. Ritchson has been in action-hero movies-television shows before. “Runner” places him front and center. Ritchson is charismatic with a range of facial expressions from contemplative to empathetic to brash.

Owen Wilson (Oscar nominee, “The Royal Tenenbaums,” 2002) is an amiable sidekick and mousy foil for Ritchson. Wilson’s laconic voice and laid-back vibe provides perfect chemistry for Ritchson’s solid demeanor.

“Runner” is a fun time at the movies with the requisite thrills and chills that would do any action movie hero proud.

“Runner,” MPA rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned: Content inappropriate for children under 13) for strong violence, bloody images and some language; Genre: Action, Comedy, Thriller; Run time: 1 hour 38 minutes. Distributed by Angel.

Credit Readers Anonymous: “Runner” has a QR code displayed on the screen during the closing credits for movie-goers to “pay it forward” for others to see the film. “Runner” was filmed March through May 2025 in Brisbane and Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

At The Movies: “Runner” was seen in the standard format at AMC Center Valley 16.

Theatrical Movies Domestic Weekend Box Office, Sept. 25-Sept. 27: “Avengers Endgame: Encore

2026 Re-release,” with some added footage, opened at No. 1, with $26.1 million in 3,060 theaters.

2. “Resident Evil” dropped one place from its one week at No.1, with $23 million in 3,684 theaters, $103.1 million, two weeks. 3. “Heart of the Beast,” starring Brad Pitt in a survival drama, $20 million in 3,435 theaters, opening. 4. “Primetime,” starring Robert Pattinson in the biopic, $19.1 million in 2,874 theaters, opening. 5. “Forgotten Island,” a DreamWorks animation fantasy film, $13 million in 3,548 theaters, opening. 6. ”Practical Magic 2” dropped four places, $5.6 million in 3,178 theaters, $59.7 million, three weeks. 7. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” dropped four places, $4 million in 2,409 theaters, $950.6 million, nine weeks. 8. “The Odyssey” dropped four places, $3.8 million in 1,021 theaters, $616.6 million, 11 weeks. 9. “Coyote vs. Acme” dropped places, $1.9 million in 1,905 theaters, $58.3 million, five weeks. 10. “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace” dropped four places, $1.5 million in 1,301 theaters, $6.2 million, two weeks.

Movie box office information is from Box Office Mojo as of Sept. 27.

Unreel, Oct. 2:

“Digger,” MPA rated R; 2 hours, 8 minutes. Alejandro G. Iñárritu directs Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller and Jesse Plemons in the Comedy, Drama, Satire. The synopsis: The most powerful man in the world embarks on a mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.

“Verity,” MPA rated R; 1 hour, 54 minutes. Michael Showalter directs Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Harnett in the Romance Mystery Psychological Thriller. Synopsis: Lowen Ashleigh is hired to ghostwrite for Verity Crawford. After she uncovers Verity’s autobiographical notes, she wrestles with the confessions about Verity’s husband, and finds it hard to separate fiction from reality. The screenplay is based on the novel by best-selling author Colleen Hoover (“It Ends With Us”).

“Rolling Loud,” MPA rated R; 1 hour, 35 minutes. Jeremy Garelick directs Owen Wilson Christian Convery and Travis Scott in the Comedy. Synopsis: A father makes a bad parenting choice by taking his young son to a wild hip-hop festival, leading to chaos as they navigate crowds, security and family dynamics with eccentric companions.

Movie opening dates as of Sept. 27 are from Internet Movie Database.

Unreel, Sept. 25:

“Primetime,” MPA Rated R; 1 hour, 50 minutes. Lance Oppenheim directs Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Phoebe Bridgers, Bokeem Woodbine, Alex Winter and Anna Faris in the True Crime Biography Thriller. In 2006, “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen sets out to make television history.

“Heart of the Beast,” MPA Rated PG-13; 1 hour, 41 minutes. David Ayer directs Brad Pitt, J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe in the Survival Adventure Drama. After a plane crash, a Special Forces officer and his combat dog are stranded in the Alaskan wilderness.

“Forgotten Islands,” MPA rated PG; 1 hour, 49 minutes. Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado direct the voice talents of Dave Franco, Jenny Slate and Manny Jacinto and the Computer Animation in the Fantasy Comedy. Two friends become stranded in the mystical world of Nakali, where their only escape might cost them their shared lifetime of memories.

Movie opening dates as of Sept. 20 are from Internet Movie Database.

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes