Movie Reviews 2026: Fall 2, Hungry, The Runner

Hello and welcome to Movie Reviews 2026 – your palm sweating guide to film.

And clammy mitts are very much on the agenda this week as two survival movies are up for review. The first is the killer hippo film, Hungry, while the second is mountain climbing sequel, Fall 2.

Meanwhile, if survival films are not your bag, how about the Gal Gadot action-thriller, The Runner? And if that doesn’t tickle your pickle, over on physical media, 1994’s Guyver: Dark Hero is given the Blu-ray treatment.

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Now streaming…

The Runner (2026)

First up this week, Gal Godot stars in the action thriller, The Runner. Directed by Kevin Macdonald, the movie follows the story of an attorney who embarks on a race against time after she is blackmailed by a mysterious figure.

In the film, Maia Martin is an attorney and single mother in London. One morning, after taking her young son to school, Maia sets out on a jog before work.

Shortly into the jog she receives a phone call from an unnamed man. The man informs Maia that he has kidnapped her son, who is in grave danger unless she does exactly as he asks.

Maia is told to run across the city to the location of a key witness in a trial. She is to kill the witness before he can testify, at which point her son will be released.

With a simple premise and a ticking clock you would be forgiven for thinking The Runner is a solid, fast-paced thriller. It certainly has the right ingredients, and maybe in an alternate universe this is top tier stuff.

Yet sadly, in this universe, The Runner is a bit of a non-starter. The story is a nowhere near as compelling as it needs to be, some of the acting is questionable, and the various obstacles which are thrown in Maia’s way are often preposterous.

Throughout the course of the film, Maia manages to steal a couple of phones, hop on and off a train, jump off a bridge, get knocked down, throw herself out of an ambulance, wave a gun around with careless abandon, and evade police capture. And she manages to do all this because she apparently has the running skills of Usain Bolt and the lung capacity of Superman.

What’s worse is that when The Runner finally reaches its conclusion, and Maia stops running, the climax to the story is complete and utter twaddle. After all that zipping about, and all that has happened, there’s no way Maia could come out of her predicament unscathed, yet at the eleventh hour she’s handed a deeply unconvincing lifeline that has to be seen to be believed.

*shakes head*

The Runner is a load of old cobblers. The film manages to make the British police look like incompetent numpties as well as tactical geniuses in quick succession, and the story feels like it was cobbled together during an early morning sprint.

On the plus side, The Runner is only 84 minutes long, so it takes up very little time to get through. But this not an endorsement.

Anyway, should you wish to take a look, The Runner is now streaming on Prime Video. You could also just take a jog instead.

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On disc…

Guyver: Dark Hero (1994)

Next up it’s over to disc for the HD release of ‘90s sci-fi superhero sequel, Guyver: Dark Hero. Directed by Steve Wang, and starring David Hayter, the movie picks up a year after the events of 1991’s The Guyver (aka Mutronics), with Sean Barker aka the super-powered Guyver, investigating the potential return of the evil Chronos – a shadowy corporation with a thing for monsters.

In the movie, Sean joins an archeological dig in the mountains of Utah, where he hopes to find answers to some of the strange dreams he has been having. A short while later, it seems as if he might be on the right track, when a monstrous Zoanoid appears, forcing Sean to transform into the Guyver to take it down.

The arrival of the Zoanoid suggests the Chronos Corporation might still be in operation. And after the dig unearths a mysterious alien ship, it would appear as if Sean/Guyver has fresh trouble on his hands.

Based on the popular ‘80s Manga series, Bio-Booster Armor Guyver (which has also been adapted into a couple of anime series), Guyver: Dark Hero is a somewhat ropey, yet ultimately quite appealing curio from the mid 1990s. Those who have never heard of it may not be that fussed, but anyone who caught the film the first time around will know there’s some gold in here.

Part Power Rangers, part Swamp Thing, and occasionally reminiscent of the early Ninja Turtles films, Guyver: Dark Hero is a fantasy romp which mixes high-kicking action with sci-fi escapism. It’s also quite bloody in places, features a kick-ass suit, and it’s much better than its predecessor.

Highlights include the fight choreography, which is truly excellent, as well as the practical effects and make-up which bring the Guyver and the various monsters to life. Effects work like this is now pretty much a lost art, so it’s great to be able to dive back into a time when prosthetics and body suits ruled the roost.

Lowlights include the story, which is a bit thin; the acting which is a bit wooden; and the running time, which at just over two-hours is a bit too long. The whole thing plays like a fan film too (albeit a well-made fan film).

That said, Guyver: Dark Hero was produced on a budget of just $800,000, so it’s doing its best with the funds available. Had director Steve Wang been given more money, there’s no doubt Guyver: Dark Hero would be a stronger film.

So, it’s flawed, and an acquired taste, but for those who dig this kind of thing there is fun to be had and it’s worth taking a look. Guyver: Dark Hero demonstrates a desire to give things a damn good go, and it certainly does that.

Should you wish to grab a copy of Guyver: Dark Hero, the film is available now on the Toy Robot Video label. The movie is priced around £18 and includes the film in HD.

In addition, you also get three new audio commentaries (including one with director Steve Wang); a collection of new interviews; and some behind the scenes footage from the original shoot. Plus there’s trailers, photo galleries, and an archival ‘making of’ featurette.

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Now streaming…

Hungry (2026)

Back to streaming now for the survival thriller, Hungry. Written and directed by James Nunn and starring Madison Davenport, the movie focuses on a small group of tourists who encounter a very angry hippopotamus.

In the film, two best friends join a tour group to take a look at alligators in the Louisiana bayou. As part of the tour, they leave the regular path to seek out at a large gator named Big Ben.

However, when they locate Ben they are horrified to discover the reptile has been ripped apart by an even larger predator. This predator is a ruddy big hippo, with a thirst for blood.

Creature features and survival thrillers often go one of two ways. They are either exhilarating affairs, filled with tense moments or over-the-top outlandish scenes, or they are plodding pictures with only occasional flashes of something interesting.

Sadly, Hungry falls into the latter camp. Despite a decent set-up, solid cinematography, and some great shots of the hippo, there’s no real energy or excitement here, making for a fairly dull experience that exists more than entertains.

Everything ticks along in a serviceable way, so getting from A to B isn’t out of the question, but the longer it goes on the more you have to question what’s the point? There’s no imagination and no flare, so while the nuts and bolts are all present and correct, there’s nothing to keep the adrenaline going during the quieter moments (of which there are lots) and there’s not much in the way of entertainment.

Hungry also takes itself way too seriously. For a movie about a group of people who cross paths with a giant hippo, this should be far more fun than it is.

The whole thing could either be played for laughs, or the scenes of spectacle could be cranked up to eleven to inject some excitement, but nope, this isn’t what Hungry has in mind. It simply wants to put a bunch of people in front of a ticked-off hippo, to show that ticked-off hippos can be deadly – and that’s it.

If you go into this film expecting more, you’ll be disappointed. And the likelihood is that you will expect more.

When you think ‘hungry’ and you see ‘hippo’ it conjures up a particular image in the mind. But to be clear, this movie is NOT based on a certain board game, so the title and the marketing around this picture is somewhat misleading, and the hippo isn’t particularly hungry either!

The creature is also missing from the majority of its own movie. When the hippo appears on screen it looks great, but other than the final twenty minutes (which are decent), the animal is mostly AWOL. 

Hungry is the sort of movie that you wish was more interesting than it actually is. It’s not awful, and in terms of telling a survival story it does the job, but there’s nothing remotely special about what is presented.

When all is said and done, the film is just a generic survival story. At best it’s a missed opportunity, and at worst it’s a bit boring.

Anyway, should you wish to take a look, Hungry is now streaming on Now TV/Sky in the UK.

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In cinemas…

Fall 2 (2026)

And finally, from one survival movie to another, brings us neatly to Fall 2 (aka Fall 2: Deadpoint). Directed by the Spierig Brothers, and starring Harriet Slater, Arsema Thomas, and Tom Brittney, the film is a sequel to 2022’s Fall, and centres its story around a treacherous mountain climb.

Picking up the story a short while after the death of Shiloh Hunter, sister Jax and one of Shiloh’s friends embark on a trip to honour the deceased. This trip involves scaling Mount Kwan in Thailand, including traversing some well-worn planks which look like they were knocked together in a GCSE woodwork class.

The aim of the climb is to get to the top to reach a dragon statue that will supposedly ‘eat fears’. But whether the duo (and their guide) make it that far is something not to be spoiled here.

OK, so if you remember 2022’s Fall (the movie where two girls climb a tower… because they are stupid), you’ll remember it was a.) preposterous and b.) enjoyable nonsense. Well, I’m happy to say Fall 2 is more of the same.

The premise is of course absolute bobbins, and audiences are required to once again suspend belief, but if you are happy to run with what’s on offer there’s a lot of fun to be had. In fact, Hungry should take note: This is how you entertain – by being likeable tosh!

The main selling point of Fall 2 is watching two seemingly stupid people (and their guide) go up a mountain and encounter a never-ending array of obstacles, ranging from rock slides to dodgy walkways. Along the way it appears as if they might die multiple times, as they essentially throw themselves in front of the Grim Reaper’s feet with careless abandon, but it’s all part of the nerve-racking narrative.

Is it daft? Completely; but it’s also captivating stuff once you get past the initial set-up.

As with its predecessor, Fall 2 knows exactly what type of movie it wants to be and it makes no qualms about throwing itself in head first. Oh, it’s a three-star movie and nothing more (let’s not go crazy here), but it’s a solid three-star movie and no mistake.

A third entry is teased and is apparently on the way, but in the meantime if you wish to check out Fall 2 the film is now playing in UK and US cinemas.

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Recent Releases

Not quite done yet? Want more movies? The above suggestions aren’t enough?! Well, here’s what’s also doing the rounds:

Batman: Knightfall – Part 1: Knightfall 

“Batman: Knightfall – Part 1: Knightfall is one of the stronger animated Bat-films and it is easily the best entry in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies collection for a while. If you found yourself falling out of love with recent DC animated movies due to some weak offerings (the three Crisis on Infinite Earths films being the most notable) then Batman: Knightfall – Part 1: Knightfall should restore your faith and your interest.”

The Whisper Man (2026)

“The Whisper Man sounds like a standard creepy thriller, and in many respects it is, but director James Ashcroft and screenwriters Ben Jacoby and Chase Palmer add depth to keep things interesting and occasionally unnerving. A slight lull in the middle displaces a bit of the momentum, but it never takes the sheen off what is being presented.”

Leviticus (2026)

“There’s much to like about Leviticus. The horror angle works, as does the coming-of-age drama, and the fact it’s all crammed into a swift runtime of just 88-minutes is all the better.”

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Movie of the Week

Onto Movie of the Week which this week is going to Fall 2. It’s complete and utter nonsense, but if you want pure escapism then it fits the brief well.

And if you like Fall 2 you might also like:

• Fall (2022) – Tense and absurd, this survival thriller sees two young women climb a ridiculously dangerous tower and get stuck.
• Cliffhanger (1993) – Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow star in this action thriller about a mountain climber who gets caught up in a heist.
• Vertical Limit (2000) – Chris O’Donnell leads this survival thriller about a rescue attempt on K2.

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Forthcoming attractions

And that’s it for this week, but coming soon Resident Evil, Digger, and Verity. Plus, Other Mommy, Matchbox: The Movie, and Whalefall.

Oh, and if that’s not nearly enough, Street Fighter, and Clayface are also on the horizon. So, yeah, don’t go anywhere, because you’ll miss out on some big movies.

Alex

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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this edition of Movie Reviews 2026. For more posts be sure to check out the recommended reads below.