TL;DR – While it does not have the legs to get all the way to the end. It is powered by the sheer force of will that is Glen Powell’s charisma, and well, he has it in spades.  

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

The Running Man Review Introduction –

When I first heard that they were remaking The Running Man, I didn’t hold much stock in how it was going to turn out. The original film is iconic for a reason, and in the 40-odd years since it first came out, who could have done a take on the scenario as well? Indeed, we got a film just like that last year with Jackpot!. However, then you find out that it is being written and directed by Edgar Wright and starring Glen Powell, who is possibly the last traditional movie star out there. Well, then 2025 remake, you have my attention.
  
So, to set the scene, in the not-too-distant future, the situation in America has descended into complete dystopia, where The Network runs the show both literally and metaphorically. Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is out desperately trying to find work so he can buy medicine for his daughter. The Network blacklisted him because he was caught talking to a union. After all, he was concerned about his workers being exposed to radiation. But as things become desperate, Ben signs up for the one thing he promised never to do: be a runner on The Running Man. There, people run for their lives, and if they last 30 days, they get ₦1,000,000,000. The only problem is that no one has ever made the 30 days, as hunters, police, and even the general public are out for blood.

Charisma

To say that this film is powered by the sheer will of Glen Powell’s charisma is not undercutting it at all. He is the character around whom the whole movie spins. Characters come and go, but he is the one constant. Because of that, the movie lives or dies on his shoulders, and well, Glen came to play. He is effortless in how captivating he is in this movie. He sucks you into his world, his plight, his survival, in a way that is very reminiscent of the scenario that they are showing. We will dive into that more later in the review. It helps that his character is driven by a straightforward yet powerful motivation. I will call it the reverse John Wick. Because he knows he will die, he has accepted that, but the longer he goes, the more his family’s future will be secured.

It also helps that The Running Man keeps throwing one wacky character after another into the mix, and every supporting actor is giving their A-game. Colman Domingo is captivating in every moment he is on screen; you hate how good he is at his job here, but you can’t look away. Josh Brolin gets to chew on every piece of scenery, and he is clearly having a ball doing it. Katy O’Brian continues to be an underrated actor out there in Hollywood, and I don’t know why, because she continues to bring in pitch-perfect performances like we get here. Also, Michael Cera shows up to give his second-most-unhinged performance this year after The Phoenician Scheme.

Structure

One of the more interesting things I noticed about The Running Man was that it was structured. It does not quite have the standard three-act structure, but is more a series of vignettes based around the many cities Ben visits like New York, bookended by a traditional opening and conclusion. Each of the locations has its own vibe and characters that make it unique. They are all separate, yet tied together as they slowly build up the lore of the world they are living in. I felt that this structure helped the movie for most of its runtime. But it doesn’t quite transition that energy it had built up through the work into the final sequence.

Another of the interesting things that I noted while watching the film was how this is the most reserved that I have ever seen Edgar Wright. While a lot of his style is here, it is a lot more pulled back than I have seen in his films, even the most recent Last Night in Soho or Baby Driver. The funniest parts of the film are when they lean into that style. Indeed, there is one gag in Boston that is so funny and works so well in the moment that it individually boosted the score I gave the film. It is these moments that also make me want to recommend seeing this film in a cinema with a big audience, if possible, because the riot of laughter was infectious.

Commentary

Much like the previous film and the original novel, this is a film that has a lot it wants to say in between all the action and comedic moments. The film is using its fictional setting to shine a light on the danger of technologies of deep fakes and media manipulation of people and events to keep you angry rather than questioning. I mean, the film is not very subtle about it at times, almost holding a mirror up to its audience. We all know that Reality TV, well, at least in Australia, is full of fake setups and villain edits. Now imagine what a company could do with no regulation and the ability to make contestants lie to your face while you hunt them down like sport.   

Where your mileage may vary comes at the end of the film, so there will be [SPOILERS] from now on. At the same time, the film spends most of its runtime being political without being political. Letting the class divide and corporate monopolies speak for themselves. Then, in the back half of the film, we get the introduction of a character that is clearly designed as the film’s version of a head-in-the-sand Republican voter who has watched only Fox News and is oblivious to the realities of the world around them. Who gets a crash course in the reality of the world they live in, and it’s a bit much, if I am to be perfectly honest.       

Conclusion

In the end, do we recommend The Running Man? Yes, we do. The action and charm carry you through, and Glen Powell makes a great anchor for this comedy romp. Have you watched The Running Man? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked The Running Man, we would recommend Heads of State to you because it also blends comedy, action, and a road trip across dangerous territory into a satisfying romp of a film.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The Running Man
Directed by – Edgar Wright
Screenplay by – Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright
Based on – The Running Man by Stephen King
Music by – Steven Price
Cinematography by – Chung-hoon Chung
Edited by – Paul Machliss
Production/Distribution Companies – Kinberg Genre, Complete Fiction & Paramount Pictures
Starring – Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, Lee Pace, Colman Domingo, Emilia Jones, Katy O’Brian, William H. Macy, Michael Cera, David Zayas, Jayme Lawson, Sean Hayes, Karl Glusman, Martin Herlihy, Sophie Simnett, Daniel Ezra, Angelo Gray, Carroll, Sandra Dickinson, Alex Neustaedter, Olunike Adeliyi, Georgia Goodman, Suzanne Prescott, Alfredo Tavares, Graeme Dalling, Law X & Brandon Burke
Rating  – Australia: MA15+; Canada: 14A; Germany: 16; New Zealand: R; United Kingdom: 15; United States: R