December 31 2025, marks a real turning point for Netflix – or at least that’s how you could describe the finale of Stranger Things. That two-hour blockbuster of a final episode brought to a close the kind of epic saga that had us all glued to our screens – and that was no small feat given that it had us hooked all the way from Budapest to California.
The fan reaction was absolutely outrageous – huge enthusiasm, but also plenty of criticism for questionable storytelling choices & some of the unanswered questions, especially in season five. Still, until recently, Stranger Things was still near the top of Netflix’s most-watched titles in the States. But its reign is coming to an end fast. Meanwhile, across the platform, some rather unexpected drama is now ruling the roost: ‘Run Away‘, the latest Harlan Coben novel to get the Netflix treatment, is at the top of the Top 10 and – as regular viewers of the author’s work will know – that’s no small achievement.
The story, based on Coben’s latest, is about a young woman who vanishes and her father, played by James Nesbitt, who has a life that looks pretty good on the surface: a happy family, a good job, a lovely home. But everything hits the fan when his daughter Paige runs away & he becomes increasingly obsessed with finding her, which is no mean feat when she ends up in the middle of a whole world of dark stuff & gets into all sorts of trouble. As he eventually tracks her down to a park in a nearby city, he’s met with a real shock: she’s in a pretty precarious state and now he’s got to deal with the immediate danger that she’s in. But then, of course, something entirely unexpected happens – somebody close to her gets killed, and he becomes the main suspect.
As you’d expect from a Harlan Coben book (or indeed TV series), ‘Run Away’ is full of what the trade calls ‘narrative mechanics’ – which is just a fancy way of saying that it’s full of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end. The series is made up of 8 episodes, each one with more tension and revelation than you can shake a stick at – and as often as not, you’ll be guessing what’s going to happen next. If you’ve seen any other Harlan Coben adaptations, like Lazarus, you’ll know exactly the kind of ride you’re in for: a classic melodramatic thriller, with some moments that feel a bit off the scale, but are just good enough thanks to some first-rate acting.
Despite the melodrama, the series has got some pretty positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it’s currently scoring 76% based on 17 reviews. Pretty much all of the critics have praised Coben’s ability to turn the page-turning tension of the books into a compelling and thrilling experience on the screen – and Coben has managed to create some characters true to life, complex, often pretty twisted and certainly more nuanced than your average drama hero.
But beyond the whodunit, ‘Run Away’ is also a deep exploration of family dynamics, and just how delicate human relationships can be. The characters in this one are all pretty flawed – they all make mistakes and have to deal with the consequences – and the relationships between them are just as complicated: you’ll see the dark side of people that you thought you knew, and discover hidden motives and secrets.
If you’re after something a bit different from the global phenomenon that is Stranger Things, then ‘Run Away’ is definitely worth checking out – the suspense will have you hooked from the very start and the twists and turns will keep you guessing until the very end.
Source: Slash Film
