Movie Review: ‘The Running Man’

Plot: Based on the novel from Stephen King, in a dystopian future, the entire United States is run by a media conglomerate known simply as The Network. Most of the country lives in abject poverty with limited access to jobs or healthcare. The main form of escape and entertainment for the masses are trashy and extremely violent gameshows, the most popular being The Running Man. If you can survive for 30 days from the Hunters led by Evan McCone (Lee Pace) and the public at large, you win $1 billion. Desperate to save his sick daughter, blacklisted blue-collar worker Ben Richards (Glen Powell) reluctantly signs on for a game no one has ever won. As the days wear on and Ben continues to survive, he begins to understand that the game may in fact be rigged. Desperate to finish the game in The Network’s favor, executive Dan Killian (Josh Brolin) pushes Ben towards a climactic and potentially devasting final confrontation.

Review: Over fifty years ago, before he became a world famous international writer, author Stephen King found himself hemmed in by a monstrous New England snowstorm. Stuck at home and with little to do, King gave himself an intimidating assignment–write an entire novel in one week. Despite the Herculean task, King was a success in his endeavor.

And The Running Man was born.

While the novel wouldn’t be published for another decade and then under King’s nom de plume Richard Bachman, it remains a cult classic for sci-fi fans and was adapted into a film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987. However, director Paul Michael Glaser’s movie bore only a passing resemblance to the King novel, and fans of the dystopian tale (of which I count myself a member) were left disappointed.

One of those fans was a young Edgar Wright who would grow up to direct kinetic hits like Baby Driver, Shaun of the Dead, and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. A perk of becoming a successful director is that you eventually have more say in the projects you pick and the input you provide. For years, Wright dreamed of doing a more traditional adaptation of King’s novel and finally, 38 years after AH-NULD graced celluloid cinemas in yellow spandex, that dream became a reality.

But does Edgar Wright’s 2025 version of The Running Man possess entertaining endurance?

Despite the decidedly mixed reviews, I’m thrilled to report that for this critic The Running Man absolutely delivers. Frenetic, colorful, hilarious, awash in biting satire, and absolutely action packed, The Running Man was everything I was hoping for. A perfect marriage of Stephen King’s sci-fi social commentary and Edgar Wright’s signature style, the film also serves as another star vehicle for rising actor Glen Powell. Boosted by a dynamic supporting cast and some brilliant action set pieces, The Running Man is a 133 minutes of adrenaline soaked awesomeness.

Now I understand some people might find the idea of a dystopian America controlled by a soulless, unempathetic totalitarian media conglomerate Hellbent on monetizing the populace’s pain and suffering for maximum profit a little too on the nose. However, where The Running Man could have come across as proselytizing or pedantic, Edgar Wright leans heavily into the satire as a form of commentary. Great movies never tell you what to think, they give you something to think about. If certain horrific elements of the society seen in Wright’s film mirror the real world, I’d say that says more about the state of the world than the film itself. Yet somehow Wright manages to find the humor in the societal horror, to the point that there were several moments I laughed out loud in the most dark manner possible. Whether it’s Michael Cera’s Elton recounting the story of his Dad and a hotdog stand, or watching overweight people run on a giant hamster wheel for cash, Wright reminds us that in the midst of the darkness sometimes all you can do is laugh.

It’s clear The Running Man is influenced heavily by the satire of Paul Verhoeven films like Robocop and Starship Troopers. In fact in some respects, Edgar Wright’s version feels like the sci-fi satire Verhoeven never got to make. Yet just like Verhoeven, Wright intuitively grasps that satire can also be wildly entertaining. And goddamn The Running Man is wildly entertaining. Chock full of practical action set pieces that seem like a throwback to 1980s action films, there’s enough explosions, insane kills, and high speed chases to make John McClane smile. Yet if you’re also a fan of Edgar Wright’s stylized tracking shots, quick cuts, and other signature camera techniques, you’ll still be well pleased. While Wright’s style is slightly more restrained than say Baby Driver, his use of DP Chung-hoon Chung and longtime editor Paul Machliss ensure Wright’s distinct touch. Steven Price also adds a propulsive and dynamic score.

This also marks the first time Edgar Wright’s ever directed an adaptation of a pre-existing work. If you’re a director who has a close personal attachment to a piece of fiction you’re trying to adapt, the danger can be either being too slavish to the source material or so innovative that the soul of the original work gets lost. Thankfully, Wright (who co-wrote the script with Michael Bacall) threads the needle perfectly. Wright’s flick steers much closer to the original King novel while adding some welcome changes. Hell I even appreciated the tweaks he made to the ending, which is one of King’s most nihilistic. Additionally, Edgar Wright’s The Running Man bursts with color which contrasts nicely with some of the darker thematic elements. Kudos to costume designer Julian Day and production designer Marcus Rowland for bringing out the bright in the darkness.

The Running Man also sports a superb supporting cast. Josh Brolin as Dan Killian makes for a devilishly wicked producer who sees people only as a means to maximize profits and increase ratings. His scenes with Powell are electric. Coleman Domingo absolutely chews every scene he’s in as the kinetic, vibrant, and charismatic host of “The Running Man” Bobby T. Michael Cera shines as an unhinged conspiracy theorist that helps Ben on the way and Jayme Lawson as Ben’s wife Sheila takes advantage of her limited screentime. Hell even the brilliant veteran actor William H. Macy gets in on the action with a couple heartbreaking scenes. The only actors I felt got shortchanged were the always awesome Katy O’Brian as a fellow contestant and Lee Pace as the main Hunter Evan McCone. O’Brian is almost an afterthought and as menacing as Pace’s character is, I could have done with a few more scenes between him and Ben.

Yet ultimately, The Running Man would be a complete disaster without the appropriate actor playing Ben Richards. Thankfully, Glen Powell nails the role and proves to be the perfect Ben Richards and legitimate leading man material. Powell beautifully captures the soul of a character who’s essentially an anti-hero in the novel. In point of fact he’s kind of an asshole. Yet Powell plays him like an endearing asshole. Tough, darkly sarcastic, and brimming with rage, he’s also a deeply devoted husband and father. He’s also someone who cares about doing the right thing. When we first meet Ben he’s been blacklisted for complaining about the dangerous radioactive conditions at his worksite. Ben really is in dire straights when this movie begins and you can’t help but empathize with his plight, especially when it’s the situation for thousands of families. However, Powell’s Richards also experiences a true arc as the film progresses, with Ben becoming more attuned to The Network’s nefarious works and exposing the system to the masses. It’s a much more nuanced performance than I was expecting and it’s a damn shame this movie is tanking at the box office.

I cannot stress how much I thoroughly loved The Running Man. It’s a perfect popcorn, action flick that also has something to say. Darkly humorous, chock-full of great performances and even better action set pieces, don’t just run out to see this one.

Sprint.

My rating system:

1 God Awful Blind Yourself With Acid Bad

2 Straight Garbage

3 Bad

4 Sub Par

5 Average

6 Ok

7 Good

8 Great

9 Excellent

10 A Must See

Masterpiece

The Running Man: 9/10