There aren’t really any surprises here as the literal title is what literally happens over the course of 103 minutes. That being said (and apologies for bringing up a hackneyed phrase you might hate hearing by now) it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. 

Brittany O’Neill’s true story of running the NYC marathon is pretty straight forward, but Jillian Bell truly shines (as O’Neill), showing off her entire range as an actress with Paul Downs Colaizzo’s smart script and direction (that manages to present a grounded, feel good story in 2019 without seeming hokey or cheesy). 

When the credits roll with Brittany Runs a Marathon, you might want to take up running, but you’ll definitely want to Jillian Bell in everything she has been in/will be in.

Brittany Runs a Marathon has a limited theatrical release and will be streaming on Amazon Prime starting this Friday, Aug. 23rd.