Run Away Netflix Review 2026: Another Harlan Coben Mystery

A new year usually means fresh starts. On Netflix, it also means yet another Harlan Coben adaptation landing in the queue.

This time around, it’s Run Away. And while longtime fans might be surprised that Richard Armitage isn’t front and center, the series does bring back a familiar face in James Nesbitt. So the big question is obvious:

Is this just another forgettable entry in the ever-growing Coben catalog, or does it actually deliver something worth sticking around for?

The Setup: A Perfect Life That Falls Apart

Simon appears to have it all -

a loving wife, happy kids, a solid career, and a beautiful home.

Then his eldest daughter, Paige, runs away.

That single moment detonates his entire world. What starts as a desperate search for his missing child slowly pulls Simon into a dark and dangerous underbelly, exposing buried secrets, criminal networks, and a chain of events that will permanently fracture multiple families.

At its heart, this is a story about loss, guilt, and how far a parent will go when hope is all they have left.

A Stacked Cast With One Distracting Detail

Alongside James Nesbitt, the series features a strong ensemble including Ruth Jones, Minnie Driver, Maeve Courtier-Lilley, Lucian Msamati, Jon Pointing, Alfred Enoch, Annette Badland, Amy Gledhill, Ellie de Lange, and Ellie Henry.

Before moving on, there’s one casting detail worth addressing.

Ellie Henry, who plays the youngest daughter, appears throughout the show sometimes using a wheelchair and other times walking without one. The series never acknowledges this in dialogue or story context. While it doesn’t affect the plot, it is distracting—mainly because nothing is ever explained.

Looking into it later, it turns out Ellie Henry has epilepsy and is a part-time wheelchair user, which makes her advocacy genuinely admirable. It just feels like a missed opportunity. A single line of dialogue could have clarified things, amplified awareness, and avoided confusion for viewers.

Eight Episodes That (Mostly) Earn Their Runtime

At eight episodes, Run Away has a healthy runtime. And unlike some recent Coben adaptations, this one actually hooked me.

The core mystery—Paige briefly resurfacing only to vanish again under horrifying circumstances—creates immediate tension. A grisly murder enters the picture, and suddenly she may be a suspect… or a victim… or something else entirely.

What works well here is that the show introduces multiple plausible suspects. Each one feels credible thanks to the background information we’re given and their increasingly sketchy behavior.

Side Plots, Assassins, and Narrative Detours

That said, the series doesn’t stick to just one storyline.

We’re also introduced to:

• A pair of roaming assassins who are cold, efficient, and refreshingly decisive
• A vigilante subplot that adds moral complexity
• A private investigator whose storyline branches into two separate directions

The assassins, in particular, are a highlight. There’s no excessive hemming and hawing—once they decide, the outcome is swift and final, almost Anton Chigurh-like in execution.

The private investigator, however, took longer to land for me. Initially abrasive and intrusive, she felt off-putting. But as her motivations are revealed, her behavior begins to make sense, and she eventually grows into a sympathetic and genuinely useful piece of the puzzle.

Are All These Tangents Necessary?

Honestly? Probably not.

Some of these narrative detours feel oddly placed in the first half of the show and make it harder to stay fully invested early on. I did struggle a bit with momentum at first.

That said, when viewed as a whole, most of these side stories do pay off. They eventually connect back to the main thread and avoid turning the series into a tangled mess. One particular subplot could have been removed without changing much, but it still added emotional texture—so it didn’t feel like a waste.

James Nesbitt Carries the Emotional Core

What ultimately kept me watching was the emotional center of the story:

a father desperately trying to find his daughter.

James Nesbitt delivers strong range here. His character isn’t always likable, but he is relatable. We see him make frustrating decisions—sometimes out of impatience, other times because he’s drowning in grief and regret.

The show does a solid job of portraying vulnerable people getting trapped in circumstances beyond their control, while others attempt to help… often making things worse in the process.

Performances, Dynamics, and Missed Opportunities

The acting across the board is engaging, with a wide mix of personalities—heroes, villains, and morally gray characters.

The assassins’ relationship, in particular, is oddly captivating. It’s not deep or profound, but it’s predictably unhealthy, and you can feel the train wreck coming long before it arrives.

Minnie Driver, on the other hand, feels underused. She’s a big name given surprisingly little to do, which is a strange choice.

We also follow two detectives with an intriguing dynamic, though their storyline mostly serves to add time and context rather than significantly elevate the plot.

A Strange Final Moment

The final scene is… odd.

I actually rewound it twice, convinced I had missed a line of dialogue or a visual cue. The lingering look we’re left with feels like it’s hinting at more—despite the fact that all major reveals have already happened.

I understand the emotional intent, but it’s an unusual way to close a series that had otherwise wrapped things up neatly. Thankfully, it doesn’t hurt the overall mystery—it just feels slightly out of place.

Is the Mystery Predictable?

Parts of it, yes.

But because there are so many arcs unfolding at once, not every reveal is easy to guess. Some information is deliberately withheld until the last moment, which keeps certain twists from feeling obvious.

Final Verdict: One of the Better Harlan Coben Adaptations

Overall, I had a lot of fun with Run Away.

The story is layered enough to stay engaging without becoming confusing. While it could be trimmed by cutting a few tangents, the pacing remains efficient, and the twists keep things moving.

Between the emotional stakes, frustrating decisions, and morally complicated characters, the series delivers a solid mix of heartbreak, tension, and intrigue.

If you’re in the mood for a compelling mystery—and don’t mind violence, strong language, and some heavy themes—this one is worth your time.

Rating: 4 out of 5

What shows or movies are you looking forward to this year? Drop your list in the comments.