Book Review | Run Time by Catherine Ryan Howard

Adele left Ireland for LA after an incident on her last movie set. But the move hasn’t been positive and she struggles to find work. When she receives an offer to star in an indie horror movie back in Ireland, she jumps at the chance. Her role is a woman whose life seems to follow the scary novel she’s reading.

When Adele arrives at the filming location, she finds that it’s in a secluded cabin with a skeleton crew. She also receives a warning to stay away. Soon, she finds her own life starting to resemble her script too…

My anonymous friend was back. This time, they’d sent a command, and typed it in all caps.

GET OUT OF THERE NOW.

Run Time is a psychological thriller featuring an unreliable narrator, a remote cabin-in-the-woods setting, and a layered storyline. The levels are confusing at first but they can be summed up as:

• The book First Draft with Karen
•  The script of Final Draft with Kate (based on First Draft)
• The filming of Final Draft with Adele starring as Kate

The book thoughtfully portrays the terrible way female actors are treated in the film industry, and how women’s worries tend to be dismissed by men. The setting is well described so Adele’s isolation and fear felt palpable. I was sorry for her because she goes through a lot, compounded by the lasting trauma she has from her last job. She is surrounded by a filming crew of only men, one of whom behaves inappropriately toward her. Her sense of safety is compromised from the start, and she doesn’t know who to trust.

However, the book-in-a-script-in-a-book was gimmicky and repetitive. Without it, the plot is pretty simple. There are two storylines that meet in a rush at the end, so neither gets the attention it deserves. I’m also disappointed because after the book established the sexism faced by female actors, the ending ignores all that for a typical “hysterical woman” trope. All in all, a surface-level thriller that could’ve been sharper with a stronger end for the protagonist.

Run Time would appeal to fans of horror films and psychological thrillers.

I received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley for review purposes.

About the author: Catherine Ryan Howard

Photo by Miguel Angel Hernandez