Mentors, Models, and PowerPoint As Performance Art

MOVIE REVIEW
Bull Run
 -     

Genre: Comedy, Drama
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 36m
Director(s): Alfredo Barrios Jr.
Writer(s): Alfredo Barrios Jr., Bill Keenan
Cast: Tom Blyth, Chris Diamantopoulos, Jay Mohr, Zach Villa, Helena Mattsson, Jordyn Denning, Ashwin Gore, Troy Garity, Sam Daly, Alyshia Ochse
Where to Watch: in select theaters, November 14, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: BULL RUN dives into the intoxicating world of high finance from a refreshingly personal angle. It follows Bobby Sanders, a former hockey player, as he tries to force himself into a career that looks great on paper but feels hollow in reality. He wants to belong to the world of big money and fast decisions, but every step forward raises the same question: what’s the point if you lose yourself in the climb?

Tom Blyth anchors the film with a surprising amount of charisma and a grounded sense of humor. His voiceover gives the story personality without turning it into nonstop sarcasm. Bobby’s journey isn't about whether he can survive the work; it’s about whether the work is worth surviving. The more he succeeds, the more you see doubt creeping in—a slow, relatable unraveling for anyone who’s ever pretended to love a job because success is supposed to mean happiness. It feels like throwing WALLSTREET (not about a stock trader) and THE MIGHTY DUCKS (not about a kids' hockey team) into a blender set to high, not so much in exact copies, but in a homage to the vibe.

Chris Diamantopoulos steals plenty of scenes as a boss who’s both a guidance counselor and a devil on your shoulder. He represents the mindset everyone warns you about: the job is the lifestyle. Commit or get crushed, “Greed is good". The office environment around him is packed with familiar faces—co-workers whose jokes cover exhaustion, whose pride hides anxiety, and whose ambition masks a fear of falling behind. Jay Mohr adds a lightness that keeps the film from getting too self-serious, proving that finance doesn’t always need to be sharp suits and death stares.

The best element here is how the movie finds humor in tragic repetition: the late nights, the presentations no one reads, the endless calculations that vanish the moment someone changes direction. It’s absurd by design. The movie recognizes that the system thrives on insecurity, rewarding those who keep their heads down, even while questioning everything. When Bobby is confronted with sudden tragedy early on, the emotional impact doesn’t magically motivate him—it quietly brews inside him until the cracks start to show.

Visually, the film stays sharp without ever feeling like an advertisement for wealth. Offices feel sterile, elevators feel like confessionals, and the city outside seems just a few inches out of reach. There’s always the sense that Bobby could walk away, but he doesn’t. Not because he can’t, but because ambition whispers sweetly even when it hurts.

Where the film hits limitations is in its middle stretch, which circles similar ideas more than once. The script pokes the same pressure points—ego, burnout, and performative confidence—and while each pass works, it can feel like the movie briefly stalls before delivering its sharper conclusions. You get the message early, and the story takes a little longer than necessary to act on it. The emotional payoff lands, though. By the time Bobby confronts the crossroads in front of him, you feel the weight of every choice that brought him there. The humor doesn’t dilute the message—it reveals how many people joke about their misery instead of fixing it. It’s easy to laugh along until you notice the warning signs staring back.

There’s also something effective about how the film handles identity. Bobby’s past as a hockey player isn’t just a fun detail — it haunts him. He’s used to a clear scoreboard, a visible win or loss. Here, success is slippery and subjective, defined by people who barely know his name. The movie cleverly contrasts physical exhaustion with emotional depletion, making late-night clutter feel as draining as a bruising game on the ice. There are fleeting moments when Bobby remembers what passion feels like, and those glimpses make his current reality sting all the more. When a mentor figure questions his drive, it isn’t framed as tough love — it’s a warning shot. The movie hints that chasing the life you think you’re supposed to want can erase the one that once made you feel alive. It’s a relatable tension that keeps the comedy from floating away.

BULL RUN isn’t here to condemn the world it portrays. It’s here to examine the cost of belonging to it—and who gets left behind inside themselves while chasing numbers on a screen. It’s a smart, accessible comedy-drama that entertains while asking the uncomfortable questions. You come for the laughs, but you leave thinking about the last time you convinced yourself you were exactly where you should be, even when every instinct said otherwise.

Please visit https://linktr.ee/overlyhonestr for more reviews.

You can follow me on Letterboxd, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. My social media accounts can also be found on most platforms by searching for 'Overly Honest Reviews'.

I’m always happy to hear from my readers; please don't hesitate to say hello or send me any questions about movies.

[photo courtesy of FALCONER PICTURES, BILL KEENAN PRODUCTIONS, BALDWIN ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, JOKE PRODUCTIONS, ANDREW SUGERMAN PRODUCTIONS, VERTICAL]

DISCLAIMER:
At Overly Honest Movie Reviews, we value honesty and transparency. Occasionally, we receive complimentary items for review, including DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, Vinyl Records, Books, and more. We assure you that these arrangements do not influence our reviews, as we are committed to providing unbiased and sincere evaluations. We aim to help you make informed entertainment choices regardless of our relationship with distributors or producers.

Amazon Affiliate Links:
Additionally, this site contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may receive a commission. This affiliate arrangement does not affect our commitment to honest reviews and helps support our site. We appreciate your trust and support in navigating these links.