A marathon to escape your life — but your FOMO on grief catches up at mile 20.
Fueled by questions of morality and a meticulously curated playlist, Jane Cooper sets out to complete the Garden State Marathon while navigating a collapsing marriage, the impending death of her best friend, and a life-altering decision she cannot outrun.
Acting
Levy carries a full emotional marathon without collapsing.
Writing
Gaby's dying wisdom hits harder than any finish line.
Direction
Costanzo makes 26.2 miles feel like one breath.
Director
Melissa Miller Costanzo
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'sad girl running' subgenre—Brittany Runs a Marathon, Personal Best—finally gets its terminal illness upgrade. Costanzo treats the trope with enough irony to avoid parody.
Sarah Levy trained for three months; her actual marathon time was 4:47, which she insisted be Jane's time in the film's final cut. The director agreed only if she also did the vomiting scene without a stunt double.
US
