Netflix is kicking off the year with a brand‑new Harlan Coben adaptation, and this time the bestselling novel Run Away is getting the limited‑series treatment under the French title Ne t’enfuis pas. Available to stream in the U.S. from January 1, this eight‑episode British thriller dives into a missing‑daughter case that slowly tears apart and reshapes one family.
Release date, format and where to watch
Ne t’enfuis pas (Run Away) is a Netflix Original limited series produced in the U.K. All eight episodes drop at once on January 1, making it an easy candidate for a New Year’s weekend binge.
The show continues Netflix’s ongoing partnership with Harlan Coben, which has already produced several twist‑heavy crime dramas for the platform. Here, the streaming giant is aiming squarely at fans of character‑driven thrillers, true‑crime obsessives, and viewers who love multi‑episode mystery arcs instead of case‑of‑the‑week procedurals.
The story: A father, a missing daughter, and secrets that won’t stay buried
At the center of Run Away is Simon Greene, a seemingly stable, successful father whose life implodes when his eldest daughter Paige vanishes. Simon eventually spots her again in public—fragile, adrift, clearly not the person she used to be. Before he can truly bring her home, a violent incident separates them once more.
What begins as a desperate attempt to track down a missing child quickly morphs into something much darker. Simon’s search takes him far beyond the limits of his family bubble and into a web of crime, lies, and moral compromises. As he digs deeper into Paige’s disappearance, he’s forced to confront uncomfortable truths about his own past and the people closest to him.
Netflix has released an official trailer that sets the tone for the series:
Rather than focusing solely on police work, the show leans into the emotional fallout of disappearing without a trace—on parents, siblings and partners left behind. The investigation plays out on several levels at once: a family drama, a criminal case, and a slow reveal of how far someone will go to protect the ones they love.
How “Run Away” fits into the Harlan Coben universe
Readers of Harlan Coben will recognize many of his signature ingredients: ordinary people pulled into extraordinary danger, respectable lives that hide serious secrets, and a constant question of how well we truly know the people we love. Run Away sticks closely to that blueprint.
Like Coben’s other Netflix collaborations, the series plays with:
- Deceptive appearances – characters who seem trustworthy at first glance often turn out to have second lives, hidden agendas or unspoken histories.
- Family under pressure – the story treats the Greene family not just as victims of crime, but as people whose past choices helped shape the present disaster.
- Layered revelations – instead of one big twist at the end, the show drops steady clues and reversals that reframe what you thought you understood.
For U.S. viewers who enjoyed other Coben‑inspired series—like The Stranger or Stay Close—Run Away offers a familiar mix of suspense and emotional stakes, but with a fresh set of characters and a different corner of the U.K. as its backdrop.
Cast: Familiar British faces front and center
One of the big draws for American audiences is the ensemble of recognizable British and international actors anchoring the show.
- James Nesbitt plays Simon Greene, the father whose search for Paige drags him far outside his comfort zone.
- Ellie de Lange takes on the role of Paige, the missing daughter whose disappearance drives the entire plot.
- Ruth Jones appears as Elena Ravenscroft, a private investigator whose involvement adds another investigative layer.
- Minnie Driver portrays Ingrid Greene, Simon’s wife and the family’s emotional anchor, fighting to hold their lives together.
- Alfred Enoch and Amy Gledhill play the detectives officially assigned to the case, representing the institutional side of the investigation.
As the series unfolds, their storylines intersect with a wide array of side characters whose paths gradually converge, building toward the larger mystery.
Behind the scenes: Creators, locations and production style
Run Away is developed for television by writer Danny Brocklehurst, a frequent collaborator in the Coben–Netflix pipeline. Harlan Coben himself is involved as an executive producer, helping to steer the adaptation of his novel into a format that works for streaming.
The show was filmed across England, with a noticeable emphasis on the country’s north and the city of Liverpool—areas that have already served as backdrops in previous Netflix thrillers. The choice of locations gives the series a grounded, lived‑in feel rather than a glossy, postcard‑style vision of the U.K.
Direction is split between Nimer Rashed and Isher Sahota, whose approach favors a slow burn: each episode pushes the plot forward while also peeling back another layer of character motivation. The editing and pacing are clearly designed for continuous viewing, encouraging you to let the next episode autoplay rather than treating each chapter as a standalone story.
Is “Run Away” worth adding to your watchlist?
If you’re in the U.S. and looking for a New Year binge that blends crime, mystery and family drama, Run Away checks several key boxes:
- You like grounded thrillers more than over‑the‑top action pieces.
- You enjoy multi‑episode mysteries with emotional stakes, not just puzzles to solve.
- You’re already a fan of Harlan Coben adaptations or British crime dramas.
Because all eight episodes arrive on day one, you can treat the series like a long feature broken into chapters—ideal for long winter evenings or a weekend marathon. And if you’ve read the novel, the adaptation offers the pleasure of seeing how the creative team translates Coben’s twists and reveals into a visual format.
FAQ
When is “Run Away” (“Ne t’enfuis pas”) released on Netflix?
The complete first season lands on Netflix on January 1, with all eight episodes available to stream immediately in the U.S. and other regions where Netflix holds the rights.
Is the series based on a Harlan Coben book?
Yes. Run Away (Ne t’enfuis pas) is adapted from Harlan Coben’s novel of the same name. Coben is involved as an executive producer, helping shape how the book’s story and twists arrive on screen.
How many episodes does “Run Away” have and is it a limited series?
The show consists of eight episodes released all at once. It’s framed as a limited series, meaning the central mystery is designed to be resolved within this single season rather than stretched across multiple years.
Do I need to know other Harlan Coben series before watching?
No prior viewing is required. Run Away tells a self‑contained story with its own characters and setting. If you end up liking it, you can then explore other Coben‑based series on Netflix, but each one functions independently.
