Directed by Edgar Wright and based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King, The Running Man takes place in a near-future society where the top-rated show on television is “The Running Man” — a deadly competition where contestants, known as Runners, must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with every move broadcast to a bloodthirsty public and each day bringing a greater cash reward. Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class man Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is convinced by the show’s charming but ruthless producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), to enter the game as a last resort. But Ben’s defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite — and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters, but a nation addicted to watching him fall.
The Running Man was first adapted in 1987 with a film, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role, that very loosely adapted the original story but still managed to deliver a campy and fun dystopian thriller of the 80s that brought some elements of King’s novel to life in its own way and left a lasting impact on pop culture. 38 years later, the wickedly talented Edgar Wright has stepped up to the plate with his own adaptation of The Running Man that is done with his own unique vision, while also being more accurate to the original novel with its large scale events and highly relevant themes. If there was any Stephen King story that Wright was the perfect pick for it had to be this one, since his energetic directing style fits perfectly with the thrills and kills of this dystopian world. Did he end up delivering another incredible film to add his fantastic filmography? In my personal view he definitely did.
The Running Man is an explosive powder keg of a dystopian thriller that perfectly captures the relevant social commentary of the novel, embraces the humorous camp of the 1987 adaption and goes absolutely wild with its vicious action and style under Edgar Wright’s superb direction. While it does overstay its welcome a bit with a bloated runtime and a bit of a mixed ending, this film really does a fantastic job adapting a majority of the source material while simultaneously serving as both a super fun action flick and a timely story that doesn’t hesitate in diving deep into unfiltered satire that even Paul Verhoeven would approve of.
Edgar Wright chose a solid cast for this adaptation who all commit to their characters and the world they inhabit perfectly, but the best of the lot that anchors this film with an emotionally resonant performance is Glen Powell as Ben Richards. Glen Powell has been proving himself lately as a rising superstar with incredible range in a lot of projects, and he continues to do so in this film as a man who gets pushed to his limits to provide for his family and is fueled by primal rage to survive this deadly game of hide and seek. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cheesy action hero portrayal of Ben Richards was fine for its time but Glen Powell’s portrayal easily beats it with how emotionally compelling and charismatic his portrayal is, making him the perfect hero to root for in the biggest uphill battle of his life.
Opposite of him we have Josh Brolin as the sleazy Dan Killian, who Brolin wonderfully portrays, offering a great amount of menace as the big-time producer of the Running Man. He is as deceitful and manipulative as the Devil himself, oozing with seductive charm that gets under your skin every time he comes on screen. He may not be the most layered villain we have had in Stephen King adaptations so far but he is a great representation of corporate America and the threat it is to the lower classes, even in our current world.
Stealing the show and chewing the scenery at every turn in this film is Colman Domingo as Bobby “Bobby T” Thompson. At this point Colman Domingo proves he can play anyone and anything to perfection, and his performance as the hyper energetic and flamboyant host of the Running Man show is no exception as he goes all in on it. He may not have a lot of scenes in the film but he absolutely dominates the scene when he comes on as the unfiltered and vicious vocal representative of the Network’s biggest show, spreading manipulated media far and wide and making people fall in love with a sadistic gameshow.
Also stealing the show in smaller but notable doses is Michael Cera as Elton Parrakis, a rebel in this Dystopian America who helps Ben in his race for survival. As expected, Cera is a comedic supporting gem in this film, but he also manages to deliver some genuinely serious moments of acting that I didn’t expect from him. It shows that he can be more than just the funny guy and that he could do more serious roles if given the opportunity.
Other supporting performances like William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Emilia Jones, Jayme Lawson, Daniel Ezra, and Katy O’Brian are also excellent in their respective roles, even though they might be vastly overshadowed by the performances of the main cast.
The film beautifully brings the world of King’s novel to life through its energetic narrative that delivers the high-stakes thrills and action on a large scale, along with a mix of relevant satire and clever social commentary. There is obvious commentary about addiction to violence in entertainment, inhumane greed and corporations taking advantage of the lower class, but the biggest theme the film hugely highlights is the censorship and manipulation of media, which is probably the most highly relevant topic considering the current events in America. It might be satirized in this film but sadly it is not far from the truth now as politicians and corporations have been altering media through the lens of entertainment to benefit their agenda, especially if it means censoring freedom of speech.
While Edgar Wright’s trademark style and humor can be felt throughout the narrative, the film felt more like a Paul Verhoeven film than an Edgar Wright film in terms of its perfect balance of brutal action and relevant satire. Whether you are in it for the action or the commentary, the story is guaranteed to satisfy people who come for one of them or both.
I was never bored throughout the film, but there are times where the narrative feels a bit bloated and could have been slimmed down in some areas to not completely overstay its welcome. One of the biggest parts of the film that I was a little mixed on and could see a lot of potential discourse over was the ending. In the novel there is a dark twist that leads to an abrupt but shocking ending, that I initially thought this film was about to follow through on, but it ends up changing things and goes for a much different ending. In one way I felt this ending plays things a little too safe with some of its choices, but in another way the ending does have a lot satisfying moments and contains a lot of timely messages regarding the current state of things in our world now. The ending has more pros than cons for me personally, but there is no doubt that it is going to divide some people and be hugely debated about for some time.
From a technical standpoint, Edgar Wright does a fantastic job bringing the world of the Running Man to life in his energetic vision, with superb set pieces that are the stages for all the bloody action to take place on. There are tons of great practical effects, explosions and sets on display, as well occasional uses of CGI for some objects and sequences that look solid for the most part. This may not be that much of a visual pleaser in some areas only because this film highlights some very rundown areas of America that are intentionally made to look gloomy and dull compared to the corporate and colorful realm of the Network. The cinematography is energized and fun, especially in the action sequences featuring great long takes and other signature camera movements Edgar Wright is known for in his other films.
The score by Steven Price is fun, as is the soundtrack, though aside from a few needle drop sequences there aren’t many songs that stood out amongst the soundtrack, leaning more into the score instead.
Overall, Edgar Wright’s adaptation of The Running Man is another solid entry to his filmography and another solid Stephen King adaptation in a year of surprisingly great Stephen King adaptations. It’s a wild and explosively fun time at the theaters that shouldn’t be missed out on. I’m going to give The Running Man (2025) an A = 97.
You can find more of my writing on instagram, and check out my channel on YouTube!