Running with Speed

An incredibly educational and good-natured documentary that doesn't require exaggerated rivalries or antagonists to tell a coherent story.

Despite being a niche topic, this film deserves a lot of credit for nearly (but not entirely) bridging the gap between its target demographic of hardcore gamers and the average mainstream viewer who doesn't know what "speedrunning" even is.

That's not an easy feat while staying genuine to material like this. Here we have a film with great narrative. Human stories of the people involved. Rational explanations of what you're seeing and why it matters. Proper scope and portrayal of the community. There's a lot done right.

It is, however, overly long. I saw chances to trim it down, that would serve to broaden the film's appeal and make it an easier recommendation. But that's not to say there is "wasted" time, it's just not as streamlined as it could be.

For those willing to stick it through, there's a good presentation here, done by people with true experience and care for the subject matter.