Runt

A familiar trip down the coming-of-age high school lane with a few smatterings of good acting and a unique modern-day take on latch-key kids. Brianna Hildebrand, Cameron Boyce (may he RIP), and Jason Patric all work hard and do an admirable job of selling the story. However, even though Coakley paints a lot of pretty dots he couldn't connect them to make something cohesive and satisfying leaving many unresolved loose ends leaving the viewer wondering what this movie was even about.

Its a good movie, i actually liked it. The main actor is the cute freckled boy from mirrors. Good acting. The teenage girlfriend needs acting classes.

The negative reviews on here had never been bullied in school! The pain of that experience is real and this movie shows it. It's even worse than everything depicted in the movie.

The only reason people watched this movie is because it was Cameron Boyce's final role, as is my reason as well, knowing him from "Jessie". Lots of the acting was cliche and stereotypical, and there was no depth to any character besides a glimpse of Cal. It seems to have everything but a plot and lore behind these characters, even as the film goes on, these characters end the same way they were introduced to us as, with no redemption or change to them to give us a reason as to why we should root for or care about them.

"Runt" is the name of Cal's dog, not because it is a metaphor for how Cal's character is treated or because it's his character's nickname, and there is very little screen time of Cal and Runt, which is disappointing, as it was the only part of the film I found life in. Which is a waste of a part of this story that would have made this title or the film make more sense.

The plot is very predictable, even with Runt's fate and the reactions of the characters, which makes for a slow-moving, boring film. It is also extremely stereotypical in an attempt to "stand out" in every single character trope in a teen movie you can think of. Every single scene can be imagined before it happens, and you will be right in how it plays out.

Watch if you're a fan of Boyce and want to see his last film. Otherwise, there's sadly not much if a movie to see overall as it will forever live in the shadow of his death.

Runt is an emotionally devastating film-clouds hang over it from the very first scene, and you keep waiting for a sliver of light to break through. But that moment never comes. It's a bleak, relentless look at bullying, mental health, and the destruction caused when cruelty is ignored.

The film shows how unchecked bullying can push even the kindest person past their breaking point. Cameron Boyce, in one of his final roles, delivers a haunting performance as Cal. You can feel his pain as he's tormented day after day by the school's star football players, and what makes it worse is the way everyone else just turns a blind eye. The system enables it. Teachers, peers, even the community refuse to confront it.

Aramis Knight as Vic is another standout. Normally, I don't associate him with playing villains, so seeing him embody this cruel, violent bully was shocking-and a little hard to stomach, which is a testament to how well he pulled it off. And then there's the girl nicknamed "Homeschool," who suffers one of the most horrifying forms of bullying imaginable. Her trauma, like Cal's, is dismissed and ignored, which makes it even more gut-wrenching to watch.

The ending lives up to the title-it's brutal, tragic, and leaves you shaken. This isn't the kind of movie you throw on for casual viewing. It's the kind of story that forces you to sit with it afterward, thinking about how many real lives echo what you just saw on screen.

I recommend Runt, but only if you're prepared for the emotional weight it carries. It's not just a sad movie-it's a stark reminder of how dangerous unchecked cruelty can be, and how important it is to take mental health seriously.

Final Verdict: Heavy, heartbreaking, and unforgettable. A powerful showcase of how bullying destroys lives.