We all know the story: smart kid dabbles in gambling out of financial necessity. Smart kid becomes rich and gets sucked into the world where the stakes are high and learns he can reap even more rewards. But this ultimately results in an irreparable downfall.
In “Runner, Runner,” Justin Timberlake’s (“In Time”) character Richie Furst must come up with the money to pay for his graduate tuition for Princeton University. His previous experience in the financial sector allows him to skillfully run a covert referral business in which he sends customers to various gambling sites, making a sizable kickback profit in return.
However, he gets caught and is threatened with expulsion. With no other way to pay for school, Richie turns to a gambling site run by Ivan Block, played by Ben Affleck (“Argo”). He loses all of his money.
Richie then flies to Costa Rica to confront Block. Instead of leaving after he collects what is rightfully his, Richie becomes entangled in Block’s world of incomprehensible wealth only to discover that it is not what he thought it was. Torn between Block’s grasp over him and the FBI’s coercion, Richie must learn to gamble his way out of a world he thought he wanted.
Equipped with an adequate amount of action and tension along with a few memorably humorous lines, “Runner, Runner” does not leave audiences completely bored.
However, the film depicts a story that has been told before and is very reminiscent of “21.” It lacks the plot development and suspense that would have otherwise made the film more noteworthy and less mediocre.
Despite its potential, “Runner, Runner” was entertaining, yet predictable.
