Runner (Lithuanian: Bėgikė) is a Lithuanian film written and directed by Andrius Blaževičius, released in 2021.

This dramatic thriller explores the themes of self-sacrifice, love, and toxic relationships, realistically portraying 24 hours of a toxic relationship, which eventually contaminates the entire city of Vilnius, Lithuania, all within a chaotic and frenzied chase.^[1]

After her boyfriend Vytas (played by Marius Repšys) experiences a psychotic episode and disappears, Maria (portrayed by Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė) is determined to find and help him. Chasing every clue about his whereabouts, she embarks on a fast-paced odyssey through the city. Always one step behind and against all odds, she fights for both, her love and her freedom.

• Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė as Marija
• Marius Repšys as Vytas
• Laima Akstinaitė as Ona
• Vytautas Kaniušonis as Marija's Father
• Viktorija Kuodytė as Marija's Mother
• Valentinas Krulikovskis as Petras
• Emilis Aškelovičius as Pranas
• Lukas Malinauskas as Jonas
• Indrė Patkauskaitė as Jūratė

Runner is the second feature film by Andrius Blaževičius, marking his second collaboration with producer Marija Razgutė (M-Films) after The Saint in 2016.^[2]

Formerly titled Paralysis, Runner was produced by M-Films (Lithuania) in co-production with Bionaut (Czech Republic). The film was financed by the Lithuanian Film Centre during the scriptwriting, development, and production stages, as well as through tax incentives.^[3]

Filming took place in Lithuania in the city of Vilnius during the summer of 2019.^[4]

The film was generally well received by critics. It garnered 67% positive reviews based on 390 reviews collected, on the website IMDb and 3.4/5 stars for 350 votes on the website Letterboxd.^[5][6]