Get Your Reps In: “Run Lola Run” Remains a Timeless Arthouse Adrenaline Hit

Run Lola Run (1998)

The setup of Run Lola Run is timeless: An unsuspecting young woman has 20 minutes to get her hands on $100,000 or her petty criminal boyfriend is a dead man.

The execution of Tom Tykwer’s 1998 arthouse adrenaline hit, however, remains all its own. For one, Lola (Franka Potente) is operating at a literal sprint across Berlin for approximately half the runtime. She’s the heroic avatar of a breathless, creative, throw-it-all-at-the-wall, MTV aesthetic: split screens, animation interludes, wild undulations between grainy handheld cam and artfully composed wide shots.

On June 7 and 8 at Cinema 21, Lola runs back into theaters with a 25th anniversary 4K restoration.

What’s more, in 2024, Run Lola Run occupies an interesting place in the realm of sliding-doors or infinite-loop thrillers that have only gained greater popularity with Edge of Tomorrow, Happy Death Day and Russian Doll.

Lola dabbles in the metaphysics and gamification of that subgenre, but with an independent spirit that tries a lot, refreshingly explains very little, and above all, feeds on the rush. Cinema 21, June 7.

ALSO PLAYING:

Cinema 21: Fargo (1996), June 8. Cinemagic: Death Machine (1994), June 7. An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991), June 9. Clinton: Crimes of Passion (1994), June 6. But I’m a Cheerleader (1999), early and late showings, with Violet Hex drag shows, June 7. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), June 8. Hollywood: Dirty Dancing (1987), June 8. The Bad Seed (1956), June 8 and 9. The Witch (2015), June 9. Chess of the Wind (1976), June 10. Kid With the Golden Arm (1979), June 11. Tomorrow: Purple Rain (1984), with DJ Klyph set, June 8. Beat Street (1984), with DJ Klyph set, June 8. Ghost World (2001), June 9. Singles (1992), June 9.