After the death of his pregnant wife, a young man isolates himself in the desert, living out of a van that was supposed to be his escape. But silence echoes. The heat closes in. And the memories—vivid, aching—start to pull him back toward a life he thought he left behind.
Shot on location in the California desert, The Runner is a slow-burning portrait of depression, masculinity, and the invisible work of beginning again.
A film by Tony Tacheny
Starring Ian Ousley (Avatar, the Last Airbender)
The Runner was born out of a personal season of grief and disconnection. A few years ago, while living out of a van and traveling through the desert, I found myself in one of the most beautiful places I’d ever seen — and realized I was deeply depressed. What began as a search for freedom became a quiet confrontation with loneliness and memory.
This film is my attempt to capture that tension: how isolation can feel expansive and suffocating all at once. We shot with an incredibly minimal setup, using only natural light, and embraced the limitations as a creative advantage.
At its core, The Runner is a story about masculinity and how it slowly burdens us, the hope in starting over, choosing to stay, and about how healing often begins in the first honest word spoken.
— Tony Tacheny
Ian Ousley is quickly emerging as a compelling presence on screen thanks to his standout performance as Sokka in Netflix’s live‑action Avatar: The Last Airbender. Now, he brings a profoundly intimate and vulnerable turn to The Runner, playing Everett, a man grappling with grief and estrangement as he returns home after his wife's death.
In The Runner, Ian embodies a multifaceted emotional journey. His portrayal is both subtle and raw—bringing life to a character who must confront his past, not escape it—making this one of his most affecting performances yet .
Previously, Ousley has appeared in series including 13 Reasons Why, Young Sheldon, Big Shot, and Physical, showcasing versatility across drama and coming-of-age stories.
He was recently the focus of an exclusive profile in The Hollywood Reporter discussing his lead role in The Runner — highlighting his transition from Netflix breakout to quietly powerful independent performances.
