The Runner X review: Gal Gadot’s ‘best performance’ yet? Viewers remain sharply divided

Gal Gadot's latest action thriller The Runner may have struggled to win over critics, but audience reactions suggest the film has found at least one unexpected point of agreement among some viewers: Gadot's performance.

Gal Gadot's The Runner X reviews

The Kevin Macdonald-directed thriller, which began streaming on Prime Video on 2 September, follows Maia Marten, a high-powered London lawyer whose morning run turns into a desperate race across the city after her son is abducted. A mysterious caller forces her to keep moving and follow increasingly dangerous instructions if she wants to save him.

For some viewers, the film has offered what they consider Gadot's strongest work yet.

“Just finished watching The Runner, and I have to admit Gal Gadot’s performance is the saving grace of the movie,” one viewer wrote, giving the film three out of five stars. The viewer argued that Gadot demonstrated she could deliver a strong performance “when given the right material”.

Another audience member was even more emphatic, calling it “the best work of her career” and praising Gadot for conveying the desperation of a mother trying to save her child. The viewer also highlighted the film's use of real London locations and its plot twist.

Several reactions focused on the physical nature of the role. One viewer said Gadot was “fantastic” as Maia, describing the film as fast-paced and claustrophobic, while praising its score and the race-against-time premise.

Others pointed to Macdonald's visual approach. A viewer praised the use of camera shake and visual effects to communicate adrenaline and exhaustion, comparing parts of the experience to Danny Boyle's The Beach.

The film's relentless movement through London has also been identified as one of its more distinctive features, with Maia's journey unfolding across the capital as the pressure on her steadily intensifies.

What do the critics have to say

The critical response, however, has been considerably harsher. The Runner currently has a very low critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, while its audience rating is also divided. Critics have questioned the plausibility of the screenplay and whether the film's frantic pace generates enough genuine suspense.

That criticism has spilled into audience discussions about Gadot herself.

One sceptical viewer argued that Gadot worked in the role largely because the film required her character to spend much of its running time “running, panting and out of breath”, with comparatively little dialogue. Another dismissed the praise entirely, arguing that Gadot's acting remained the film's weak point.

The debate has also moved beyond The Runner. One commenter defended Gadot against what they described as a disproportionate level of criticism directed at action stars, arguing that performers such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Keanu Reeves built enormously successful careers despite similarly restrained or physical acting styles.

Another viewer pushed back, saying criticism of Gadot should not automatically be framed as misogyny and arguing that other actresses have faced more sustained industry hostility.

For Gadot, the divided reaction reflects the wider response to The Runner. The film has not emerged as a critical success, but a section of its audience appears convinced that it has given the actor an opportunity to show a different side of her screen presence.

“This movie really surprised me,” one viewer wrote. “It’s not perfect, but it’s far from bad. Gal Gadot has given the performance of her life.”

Whether that becomes the dominant view is another matter. For now, The Runner appears to have achieved something more complicated: a film that has divided viewers, while reopening the debate over what Gadot can do when she is placed at the centre of a story.