Frankie Muniz Returns in Renner: A Cyber-thriller Mixing Tech, Betrayal, and Noir

A sexy hi-tech thriller with some surprising twists, the new film Renner starring Frankie Muniz delivers on suspense and gorgeous futuristic visuals. Stylishly directed by Robert Rippberger, with screenplay by Luke Medina and Martin Medina, based on a story by Luke Medina, Renner is coming to theaters in the United States on Friday, February 7th, 2025 to dazzle audiences.

Let’s throw out the obligatory hack, “This is not a biopic of the life of actor Jeremy Renner” joke and instead move directly into the career of Frankie Muniz. Of course he starred in a series of Agent Cody Banks films in the early 2000s. But, most television viewers know him best as Malcolm on the beloved FOX sitcom, Malcom In The Middle. While this could typecast the actor in roles meant for precocious youngsters, it’s actually a plus when it comes to the story of Renner.

Cyber-Sheen Aesthetics Enhance the Storytelling

Plot: A computer genius invents an A.I. life coach to help him find love. Too late, he realizes a mistake. He accidentally programmed his manipulative mother into the code.

There is definitely a surface level reading of this film where Renner is just an older version of Malcolm, a genius kid with an overbearing mother who messed him up real good. Basically mashing up the Joaquin Phoenix film Her and Malcom In The Middle in a Funny Or Die style spoof. Luckily, Renner has so much more to offer, including some amazing performances from the cast.

What caught my attention immediately were the Blade Runner 2040 style graphics in the opening credits, which provided some intrigue into discovering the nature of this world. How far in the future is it set? What kind of technology do they have? Is AI a dominant form of technology in this society? Truth be told told, none of those questions are answered during the movie’s run time, because Renner is not a sci-fi film, but an engaging character piece.

I have to admit, without the cyber-sheen present in the production design, I wouldn’t have been half as fascinated by the film as I ended up being. Not that the writing and performances aren’t strong, but a present day story of a neurotic and OCD guy looking for love is not the kind of entertainment I personally seek out. It was a wise decision by he production crew to give Renner an almost Tron: Legacy lighting scheme and color palette.

A Strong Cast Brings Depth to the Thriller

What makes Renner an engaging film is that the twist are genuine. Just when you think you’re ahead of the story, a new wrinkle is revealed. We previously mentioned the film Her. It also dealt with an emotionally shut-off man building a co-dependent relationship with a female voiced AI. But the angle of the program purposely being imbued with the micro-managing obsessiveness of the inventor’s mother (voiced by Marcia Gay Harden, opens up a whole new world of emotional storytelling. 

Frankie Muniz is called upon to play Renner as a socially stunted genius. This is a character we’ve seen hundreds of times before in all types of media. They desire to become more assertive in life and here Renner uses his personal AI to do so. The deviations from the repetitive elements of his daily routines becomes a great indicator of the evolution of the character as romance enters the picture.

Violet Beane as Renner’s alluring new neighbor, Jamie is the catalyst for the change. She sparkles on screen, while imbuing the character a touch of danger as she opens up Renner’s heart. The chemistry between Beane and Frankie Muniz is authentic and has you rooting for the romance, despite some warning signs. What would normally be the age old story of a femme fatale taking advantage of lonely loser is spun well. It ends up instead being very complex. A surprising element in the plot where the truth is not as straightforward as it seems.

Upping the douchebag factor of the film in the best way possible is Taylor Gray as Jamie’s “brother”, Chad. Gray delivers on everything you would expect and more in terms of harsh bro culture during his time on screen. He’s got the charm of either of the Paul brothers mixed with the swagger of Justin Timberlake. It’s a deadly combination that makes you want to see his face pummeled repeatedly during every moment he is speaking. This makes his ultimate comeuppance very cathartic.

A Plot That Twists and Turns

Without giving too much away, the mix of betrayal, heist and revenge elements in the film are perfectly balanced. When the powder keg that is Renner finally explodes, the tension runs high as the blood flows. Out of his depth and out of his mind, the tragedy of the film’s climax is sad and satisfying. All plot threads wrapped up in a truly satisfying way.

Renner deserves to be seen and talked about by film fans in 2025. Perfect casting, great writing and beautiful set design. It adds up to a neo noir thriller that leaves the viewer entertained and emotionally affected. 

Renner hits theaters on February 7th, 2025 and you can find out more at rennerthemovie.com now.

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