Run Away is Netflix’s annual installment from Harlan Coben, which don’t always hit the mark, but when they’re good, they’re very entertaining.
This time round, James Nesbitt (Suspect) works in finance as Simon Greene, a man whose daughter, Paige (Ellie de Lange – The Serpent), disappeared a year ago, but thanks to a chance encounter where she’s busking in the local park… so she hasn’t strayed too far, but after Daddy’s turned up – and since she has a rough, junkie boyfriend in tow, in the form of Aaron Corval (Thomas Flynn) – Simon’s none too pleased.
A fight ensues, everyone swears, and the whole thing goes viral online very quickly indeed, much to the upset of the rest of the family, including his wife, Ingrid (Minnie Driver – The Beekeeper), and the hunt is on to get answers that sarcastic cops Ruby Todd (Amy Gledhill) and Isaac Fagbenle (Alfred Enoch – The Critic) can’t seem to be bothered to find.
Ruth Jones (Gavin And Stacey) also enters the chat as Elena Ravenscroft, seemingly simply returning a lost dog to a young woman who runs a cafe, but you know she’ll have something else up her sleeve, and the trailer tells us she’s a Private Eye, who investigates missing people, so can she do the business for the Greenes?
Well, since these dramas are often shot around Greater Manchester – especially, 2020’s The Stranger, which included some scenes shot in Stockport Market – I’ll always be looking out for those, and Simon’s finance company is in Booth Street, in the centre of Manchester, where a scene from Years And Years was also filmed.
Also in the cast are Ingrid Oliver (Doctor Who), as Simon’s boss, and who also introduced him to Ingrid, given that they’re sister, plus Annette Badland (The Toxic Avenger) as Elena’s assistant, Lou.
Given that it’s a Harlan Coben drama, we’ll have some scenes that stretch credibility, such as the investgation of a particular crime scene that should really be left to the police, and a pair of what I can only describe as “crap killers”. You make sure no-one can see you for a reason.
However, there is a point about a tattoo parlour which does them “While U Wait”, since that’s the only way they can be done!
Run Away is another thriller that dripfeeds the plot bit-by-bit, but then that’s better than being too obvious upfront, and there’s also a flashback to Simon and Ingrid’s first date, with a little bit of de-aging CGI and soft focus – the nerd in me spotted the CGI…
However, there’s also the usual trope of someone abandoning their food/drink because they have to rush off somewhere, this time being one of the cops in the hospital restaurant. Same thing happened in the new Lynley, when the guy didn’t even stick around for his cup of tea!
So, at the time of getting into this, we have a few different storylines that are starting to converge, and it intrigues me a lot more than last year’s Missing You did, which I left to be abandoned, so let’s hope Run Away can keep me hooked until the end.
However, there are stil some moments that shock the fuck out of you. These are… well, if I mentioned them here, they wouldn’t shock you! HA!
Thanks to our friends at Netflix for the screener prior to release.
Run Away is on Netflix from today.
It’s not yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD, but when it is, it will be listed on the New DVD, Blu-ray, 3D and 4K releases UK page.
Check out the trailer below:
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 40-60 minutes per episode (8 episodes)
Release date: January 1st 2026
Studio: Netflix
Format: 2.00:1
Series Directors: Nimer Rashed, Isher Sahota
Producer: Will McDonagh
Writers: Tom Farrelly, Amanda Duke, Daniel Brocklehurst
Novel: Harlan Coben
Music: Luke Richards, David Buckley
Cast:
Simon Greene: James Nesbitt
Elena Ravenscroft: Ruth Jones
Ingrid Greene: Minnie Driver
Yvonne Previdi: Ingrid Oliver
Paige Greene: Ellie de Lange
Anya Greene: Ellie Henry
Sam Greene: Adrian Greensmith
Aaron Corval: Thomas Flynn
Lou: Annette Badland
Doug Mulzer: Ben Galvin
Alex Talbot: Vikash Bhai
Luther: Connor Porter
Rocco: Marcus Fraser
Jay Stanfield: Mark Bazeley
Ruby Todd: Amy Gledhill
Isaac Fagbenle: Alfred Enoch
Ash: Jon Pointing
Dee Dee: Marve Courtier-Lilley
Damien Gorsch: Ben Keenan
Robin Bailey: Brook Debio
Maria: Chanel Waddock
Paul: Luca Slade
Maisie: Doreen Ingleton
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.