You Will Never See The Bloody R-Rated Version Of Alan Ritchson's Reacher Meets Speed Thriller In America

Published Nov 1, 2026, 9:15 AM EST

Padraig is a Senior Features Writer and has been part of Screen Rant since 2017. Padraig is a writer, editor and retired Game of Thrones extra who has been writing about movies and TV online for over a decade. He has also written for The Irish Times, Den Of Geek, Little White Lies and many more. It's pronounced Paw-rick, BTW.

Alan Ritchson's most recent movie is best described as Reacher meets Speed, but there's a reason you will never see the gory R-rated cut in the U.S. In many ways, 2026 has been the biggest year of Alan Ritchson's career to date. In addition to Ritchson's sci-fi actioner War Machine being a huge hit on Netflix, he also fronted action movies Motor City and the upcoming The Man with the Bag, co-starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

September alone saw the release of Motor City, the arrival of the well-reviewed Reacher season four and the show's first spinoff Neagley, and the release of his latest actioner Runner. This cast Ritchson as a medical courier tasked with delivering a vital organ to a young girl - and fighting off waves of mercenaries as he races to the hospital.

Runner received surprisingly decent reviews (currently standing at 78% on Rotten Tomatoes), but was a box-office dud. Given Ritchson's rising star, the film will no doubt do gangbusters on VOD. The movie exists in two versions, though: a PG-13 in America, and a much bloodier, swearier version in most overseas territories, and the latter has yet to be made available to American viewers.

A Bloody Cut Of Alan Ritchson's Runner Was Released Worldwide Against Its Distributor's Wishes

Image credit: Angel/Courtesy Everett Collection

Runner was distributed by Angel Studios in the United States, a media company largely known for faith-based productions. That said, they didn't produce the movie, which was conceived and filmed as a bloody throwback to the action films of the 1980s and 1990s. After acquiring distribution rights, Angel decided to cut Runner down to a more audience-friendly PG-13, which involved removing most of the foul language and editing around gory violence like headshots or limbs being snapped.

Runner helmer Scott Waugh previously helmed The Expendables 4 and Need for Speed.

In July 2026, Angel posted an update on their website, clarifying that despite the fact an R-rated trailer for Runner was circulating online, the movie would be PG-13 in the U.S. They posted another update in September, claiming the Canadian distributors went "rogue" and released the uncut version despite originally agreeing to release the sanitized cut.

It appears that the R-rated Runner is the version that was released worldwide, including in the United Kingdom. While Angel Studios might feel the PG-13 edit is the best possible version, their cut feels very choppy and unsatisfying. The movie's setpieces are supposed to be crunchy and visceral, but the PG-13 Runner quite literally pulls too many punches to work as intended.

The Uncut Version Of Runner Will (Probably) Never See Release In The U.S.

© Angel / courtesy Everett Collection

For Ritchson fans who've seen both edits, they much prefer the uncensored version of Runner. Unfortunately, Angel Studios is unlikely to reverse course and make the original vision available in the United States. The cut available on Angel's streaming platform and to rent or purchase on VOD is the theatrical, PG-13 edit.

The studio is focused on entertainment fit for the whole family, which the version released worldwide was decidedly not. Runner is far from the best action film of the year - hell, it's not even the best Alan Ritchson action film released in 2026 - but if there's one area the R-rated edit succeeds in, it is the action. The finale in the hospital is particularly brutal and well-shot, and it succeeds in its aim to emulate the actioners of yesteryear.

The Runner released in the U.S. is, sadly, the inferior one. Ritchson and Owen Wilson still make for a likeable buddy duo and the film has a fair amount of heart, but the lower rating waters things down too much. Perhaps Angel will have a change of heart if enough viewers demand to see the R-rated edit, but that seems doubtful. For those seeking another gruesome action film about a medical courier suffering the day from hell, Zach Cregger's Resident Evil is the way to go.

Source: Angel Studios