Speed Runner (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Speed Runner is a 17-minute action-adventure short from director Tom Acres. Set in Tokyo, it follows a broken man searching for salvation and possibly something more, while opening The Konbini Trilogy with Joshua Lawrence and Paul Balaji in the cast.

Speed Runner is a 2026 action-adventure short directed by Tom Acres. With a runtime of 17 minutes, the film centers on a troubled visitor to Tokyo who arrives hoping to find salvation—and perhaps a deeper connection along the way.

The movie is presented as the opening installment in The Konbini Trilogy. Its Japanese-language setting and compact format suggest a focused introduction to the story world, while its tagline, “You can't drive your way to love,” points to the tension between movement, escape and emotional need.

Speed Runner movie details

Story without spoilers

The film follows a broken man who travels to Tokyo in search of salvation and possibly something more. The supplied premise leaves the exact nature of his goal open, framing Speed Runner around a personal search set against the backdrop of one of Japan’s largest cities.

As the first entry in The Konbini Trilogy, the short also establishes a larger narrative context without revealing how the trilogy will develop. Beyond its central journey, specific plot events and character relationships have not been provided.

What to expect

Speed Runner is classified as an action-adventure film and runs for 17 minutes, so its story is designed around a concise short-film format rather than a feature-length structure. The Tokyo setting and Japanese dialogue are central pieces of its identity, while the premise combines physical movement with a personal search for meaning or connection.

The title and tagline suggest that driving or travel may be important to the film’s setup, but the available information does not confirm the nature of any action sequences, vehicles or relationship at the story’s center.

Cast and creative team

Tom Acres directs Speed Runner. Joshua Lawrence plays Josh, and Paul Balaji plays Paul. No writers are listed in the supplied credits, so no screenplay attribution is included here.

• Joshua Lawrence as Josh
• Paul Balaji as Paul

Release and production context

Speed Runner is listed as a 2026 release with a release date of August 15, 2026. It has a runtime of 17 minutes and is categorized as Action and Adventure. The spoken language is Japanese, and the story is set in Tokyo. The film is identified as the opening installment in The Konbini Trilogy.

Movies Dock view

With its brief runtime, Tokyo setting and premise about a damaged traveler seeking salvation, Speed Runner appears positioned as a compact introduction to The Konbini Trilogy. The available details establish its genre, language and central setup while leaving the film’s fuller direction for viewers to discover.

Film data:
TMDB