Run: This Town

It’s an ambitious debut from writer-director Ricky Tollman that attempts to mix Aaron Sorkin-style dialogue with 1970s thriller aesthetics, but it ultimately struggles to find a coherent point of view . The Song: "Run This Town" (2009)

Jay-Z’s lead single from The Blueprint 3 , featuring Rihanna and Kanye West, remains a monumental hip-hop track but was met with some technical criticism upon release. Run This Town

Critics largely panned the film's scattered focus. While the performances from Platt, Dobrev, and Massoud were seen as solid, many found the script's focus on "millennial malaise" a distraction from the far more interesting real-life corruption story. It’s an ambitious debut from writer-director Ricky Tollman

It follows an ambitious, insecure young reporter (Ben Platt) and City Hall staffers (Mena Massoud, Nina Dobrev) navigating the fallout of a mayor’s (Damian Lewis) drug scandal. While the performances from Platt, Dobrev, and Massoud

Rihanna’s hook was praised for its anthemic quality, marking her high-profile return to the spotlight at the time. Kanye West was widely considered to have stolen the show , with his verse outshining Jay-Z’s more relaxed performance.

“I never for a second forgot that I watching an actor under piles of makeup.” Fandango