A Summer of Music, Mistakes, and Growing Up

Read Time:6 Minute, 7 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
The Runarounds
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Genre: Drama, Music
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 8 x 55m episodes
Created by: Jonas Pate, David Wilcox
Writer(s): Jonas Pate, David Wilcox, Shannon Burke, and team
Cast: William Lipton, Axel Ellis, Jeremy Yun, Zendé Murdock, Jesse Golliher, Lilah Pate, Maximo Salas, Kelley Pereira, Marley Aliah, Mark Wystrach, Brooklyn Decker
Where to Watch: available September 1, 2025, on Prime Video

RAVING REVIEW: There’s an unparalleled restlessness in the summer after graduation, a time caught between childhood and adult responsibility. THE RUNAROUNDS leans into that transitional energy with a mix of humor, heart, and plenty of music. Created by Jonas Pate and David Wilcox, this eight-episode Prime Video series follows a Wilmington, North Carolina band made up of recent grads trying to turn a summer into something more. It’s a story full of mistakes, heartbreak, and hope—the kind of messy ambition that feels authentic to anyone who ever dreamed too big, too soon. The series almost has a WONDER YEARS vibe to it, and I honestly love that aspect!

The series begins with the band in crisis: in the ‘Pilot,’ Charlie Cooper (William Lipton) and his friends must kick out a member, their drummer and best friend, only to realize they can’t survive without him or someone like him. That act of desperation sets the tone: they either make it by summer’s end or face the dreaded “Plan B” futures of college and nine-to-five jobs. It’s melodramatic in the way late adolescence can feel, but the show plays it with sincerity, not irony. The characters’ belief in their band is what makes you root for them.

The episodes capture the unpredictability of youth and how dreams are rarely one-dimensional. In ‘Morning Glory,’ Charlie borrows from Sophia’s poetry after she rejects him, leading to an ugly fallout and his first big failure as a songwriter. His friends land in jail for sneaking into a concert; Pete scores a gig; Sophia calls him out. It’s the kind of messy domino effect that feels painfully real for anyone trying to impress someone and finding themselves humiliated instead.

Each episode gives different characters room to shine. ‘(Nice Day for a) Weird Wedding’ lets Marley Aliah’s Ruthie show off her charm when the band plays a chaotic hippie wedding; Bez’s drumming catches a label owner’s eye; Neil writes a love song for Phoebe; and the girls bond during a sleepover. These smaller moments, from Amanda and Topher’s internships to Hannah and Finn’s secret, build a fuller world beyond the band’s ambitions.

What works especially well is how the series intertwines musical and personal lives. In ‘Three Grand, Five Songs, Four Days,’ Amanda gets them a paying gig to fund a real studio session. Still, Bez auditions for another band, George and Charlie clash over Sophia, and a family medical crisis threatens to derail everything. ‘Ride the Wave’ offers a welcome detour: a road trip episode where the band embarks on misadventures and confronts hard truths while seeking the wisdom of a legendary musician. It’s an unabashedly earnest “we need to see what real artistry looks like” moment, but it lands because of how much the show invests in the band’s naïve passion.

Later episodes deepen the drama without losing the humor and heart. ‘Been Caught Stealing’ sees the aftermath of their Oz escapade, with stolen gear, complicated family dynamics, and a subplot about Wyatt and his mother. Hypocrites push the band into the spotlight when their new song goes viral; major label attention suddenly feels possible, but Sophia’s family issues threaten her college plans. And in ‘Kill Devil,’ the bittersweet finale, the summer ends with jail, heartbreak, and opportunity: a rooftop concert gone wrong, Charlie’s devastating discovery about Catesby’s past, Sophia’s departure, and the chance to open for Phoebe at the Kill Devil Ballroom. The ending strikes the right chord—hopeful but honest about how fragile dreams can be.

Because the cast are real musicians, the performances are heavier than you would expect. Songs like “Funny How the Universe Works” and “Senior Year” aren’t just background filler; they’re tied to character arcs. When Charlie and Sophia write together, or when the band performs at a wedding or on a rooftop, the show captures the vulnerability of putting yourself out there. The performances never feel manufactured; they feel like kids trying to figure out who they are while everyone is watching.

Some adult side plots (like the label owner and certain parent arcs) feel underdeveloped, and there are moments when the teen drama leans a little too hard into familiar tropes. But its sincerity is its superpower. It’s not cynical about its characters’ big dreams, nor does it overpromise a fairy-tale ending. Instead, it focuses on the bonds forged in chaos—how friends become family when you chase the impossible together.

Wilmington feels alive; it’s not just a backdrop, but something that helps shape the band’s aspirations and limitations. There’s a refreshing lack of gloss in how the show depicts these kids—their performances are imperfect, their relationships are messy, and their futures are uncertain. And that’s exactly why it works.

By the end, THE RUNAROUNDS isn’t about whether they get a record deal. It’s about the journey: the poems, the road trips, the late-night practices, the rooftop gigs, and the heartbreaks that make those songs worth singing. It’s about the fleeting summer when you’re still young enough to believe in impossible dreams and just old enough to realize the cost. The series doesn’t reinvent the coming-of-age wheel, but its mix of original music, authentic performances, and messy heart makes it a standout entry in the genre.

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[photo courtesy of PRIME VIDEO]

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