Acclaimed British filmmaker Edgar Wright goes back to the source with this adaptation of Stephen King’s 1982 novel The Running Man, wisely choosing to follow King’s original darkly dystopian text, instead of remaking the shonky 80’s actioner.
That 1987 Arnold Swarzenegger version strayed so far from Kings original story, that the author reportedly asked for his name to be removed from the credits. Fortunately, there are no such problems with Wright’s version. Upon completion of his now cult Cornetto trilogy, the filmmaker broadened his horizons with Baby Driver in 2017, which proved he can also do action, and now the director has made a remarkable transition to full on blockbuster thrillers with The Running Man.
Set in the near future, Glen Powell takes on the Arnie role of Ben Richard’s, a blue collar worker who’s blacklisted for standing up for his colleagues and as a result can’t afford crucial medicine for his sick daughter. In desperation he turns to an authoritarian TV network who offer big sums of money for putting your life on the line in dangerous televised game shows.
Drawn in by Josh Brolin’s slimy TV Exec, Richards is tempted by the promise of an advance on his prize money and reluctantly signs up for the networks most dangerous show of all. The rules of the Running Man are simple, stay alive for 30 days and earn a billion dollars. However, the deck is stacked very much against the contestants as they are released into a hostile outside world and hunted down by a group of highly trained killers.
The show, presented by Bobby T (a brilliantly flamboyant Colman Domingo) broadcasts daily episodes updating the hunt, while watching citizens are encouraged and incentivised to report sightings of the runners.
Hand picked by Brolin’s Dan Killian, due to his history with anger issues, Richard’s doesn’t disappoint by violently dispatching a number of the hunters sent to kill him. As the shows ratings soar, Ben uses his daily video updates to alert the public to the rigged game and its manipulative Network, who feed the public propaganda and paint the hapless contestants as vicious criminals. Focusing on a rich / poor divide and with medicine only available to those who can afford it, King’s novel was eerily prescient. As a result, this new adaptation draws many parallels with the current state of the world, particularly in America, and feels like it has real substance behind it. In keeping with the books angry tone, the film has a propulsive energy to it, sprinting from one set-piece to the next, with very little time to pause or reflect.
Korean cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung captures the retro futuristic world superbly, and while the film lacks some of the directors’ trademark flair, there’s still a vein of humour running through it. Particularly in an inspired Home Alone-esque segment with Michael Cera (Reuniting with the director for the first time since the divisive Scott Pilgrim Vs The World).
Powell is a thoroughly charismatic lead and surely heading to the A list, while Brolin, Domingo and Cera, are all perfectly cast alongside Emilia Jones, Lee Pace and William H Macy who bulk up an already impressive ensemble.
While the film loses it’s nerve somewhat when it comes to the ending and isn’t quite sharp enough to be classed as a full on satire, as far as big exciting blockbuster action goes, this is as fun a trip to the movies as you could hope for.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Paul Steward 30/11/25
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