The start of a new year is a time for two things: Making ambitious resolutions that you’ll have (probably) broken before February even arrives, and binge-watching the latest Netflix original series based on a best-selling novel by crime thriller author Harlan Coben.
For the third year in a row, Netflix has ushered in a new year by dropping a new mystery thriller series that adapts one of Coben’s books. In 2024, it was “Fool Me Once"; 2025 brought us “Missing You"; and now, on the first day of 2026, “Run Away” arrives on the streaming service. And I’m pretty sure it’s got a Netflix No. 1 spot in its near future.
There’s something oddly comforting about “Run Away.” It incorporates addiction, murder and family turmoil, and to be frank, it’s not very good, but I found myself eager to keep hitting the “play next episode” button. After a busy holiday season, kicking off the new year with a trashy Netflix/Coben collab has become a welcome tradition.
What is ‘Run Away’ about?
Like many Harlan Coben stories, “Run Away” centers on a family that seems perfect on the surface, but has plenty of dark secrets bubbling away under their polished exterior.
Simon (James Nesbitt) is a successful family man whose seemingly perfect world is thrown into crisis when his eldest daughter Paige (Ellie de Lange) runs away. So, when Simon finds her busking in a park near the family’s lavish home, he springs into action, which leads to a heated exchange and a viral video that does not cast Simon in a good light.
With Paige having slipped through his fingers and a violent crime coming to the surface shortly afterwards, Simon desperately searches for his missing daughter. This hunt takes him into a dark underworld, which contains some secrets that maybe should have been left hidden.
Netflix’s ‘Run Away’ is highly bingeable but very disposable
If you’ve watched any of Netflix’s previous adaptations of Harlan Coben’s work, then you’ll feel instantly at home with “Run Away.” From switching the central setting to the U.K. (Coben’s books are primarily set in the U.S.) to the constant cliffhangers that bookmark each chapter, it’s a mystery thriller that opts to play things by the book from the first minute.
There’s a reason Netflix continues to mine this formula; it makes for compelling TV. Yes, “Run Away” gets increasingly silly as the narrative progresses, some of the acting is a little questionable (though it’s nice to see “Gavin & Stacey’s” Ruth Jones in a very different role), and there are far too many POV characters in the mix. But every single episode drops a new morsel of information that keeps you guessing along.
On one more occasion, I thought to myself, “This isn’t very good, but I must find out what happens next.” And that’s always been the strength of Netflix’s collaborations with Harlan Coben. For all of “Run Away’s” many faults, it sure does know how to set up an intriguing mystery and then add layer after layer of new revelations that keep you invested.
While James Nesbitt’s Simon is listed as the lead and features extensively, the show also explores events from the perspectives of a private investigator, Elena Ravenscroft (Ruth Jones), police inspector Isaac Fagbenle (Alfred Enoch), and a Bonnie and Clyde-style criminal couple. It’s a lot of perspectives to juggle, and “Run Away” doesn’t always thread this needle neatly. Of course, all the characters eventually come together, with their various plot threads intertwining, but it takes longer than necessary to get all the pieces on the board and in position.
If you’re looking for a high-quality thriller that balances compelling characters with narrative panache, you won’t find it in “Run Away.” But if you can settle for a mystery thriller series that constantly turns the tables and loves to add surprising pieces to the puzzle, then it’s very watchable.
It’s not a Netflix show that will live long in the memory, or be talked about for very long (it'll also be long forgotten by February), but there’s always a place on my New Year's watchlist for a disposable time-filler.
Should you stream ‘Run Away’ on Netflix?
“Run Away” is a Netflix mystery thriller series with no intentions of fixing what ain’t broke. The streamer’s collaborations with Harlan Coben have been consistently successful, at least in terms of viewing figures, and this latest effort sings from the same hymn sheet.
I suspect many viewers will come looking for unexpected twists and shocking revelations, and that’s pretty much all “Run Away” has to offer. It’s not going to be a critical darling, and you could absolutely tear it apart for its numerous production failings, but at least for me, it’s the type of streaming junk food that I crave at the start of a new year.
So, while “Run Away” is certainly no high-quality Netflix gem, you’ll probably end up binge-watching it in a single weekend anyway.
Of course, if you don’t have time in your own viewing schedule for a thriller show that is bingeable but disposable, then you can check out everything new on Netflix in January 2026, which includes dozens of movies and alternative TV show options with a little more prestige.
Watch "Run Away" on Netflix now
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