Writer-director NB Mager’s feature debut “Run Amok" takes on a premise that could easily feel too heavy. The film is set in a high school approaching the ten‑year anniversary of a mass shooting.
The story follows Meg, a shy freshman who often trails behind her older cousin Penny, played by Sophia Torres, a popular lacrosse player at the high school. Meg lives with Penny’s family. Her aunt Val, played by Molly Ringwald, was the sister of Meg’s mother, a beloved teacher who was killed in the shooting.
Alyssa Marvin gives a standout performance as Meg, who begins the film as someone who barely takes up space. She keeps her head down, follows her cousin through the halls, and mostly watches life happen around her. She was only three when her mother died, and that loss sits in her quietly.
As the school gears up for the ten‑year commemoration, Meg comes up with an idea of her own: a student‑created musical that confronts the tragedy directly. Working on the project becomes a turning point. It gives her a place to put feelings she has never been able to articulate, and you can see her slowly step forward and claim more of herself.
The school itself is still shaped by what happened. Even a decade later, active‑shooter drills are routine. Teachers and staff carry guns loaded with rubber bullets. The PTAA, the Parent Teacher Arms Association, is as involved as any traditional parent group. It is a community that has learned to function but not necessarily to heal.
Some moments land better than others, but the intention behind the film is clear. “Run Amok” isn’t trying to offer a neat takeaway about grief or healing. It’s more interested in the imperfect ways people try to move forward.
“Run Amok” has a runtime of 103 minutes and receives 3.5 out of 5 suns on the Sundance rating scale.
