Film review: ‘THE RUNNING MAN’ by Nick Gardener from ‘Built For Speed’
It’s been a big year for Stephen King adaptations about people in deadly foot races. Earlier, we had the impressively gruelling and poignant The Long Walk and now comes The Running Man, not only a King adaptation but a remake of the 1987 Arnie film. The original film was an entertainingly silly piece of glossy 80’s sci fi action that was most memorable for an inspired performance from former Hogan’s hero and real-life game show host Richard Dawson as a gleefully obnoxious TV personality.
The remake from British director Edgar Wright, best known for his Cornetto trilogy with Simon Pegg, purportedly stays much closer to King’s original story. Despite this, it’s a hit and miss effort full of Wright’s typical manic energy but lacking momentum and a compelling central character.
The new version sees ‘it guy’ Glen Powell in the Arnie roll as the honourable if disturbingly angry working class family man Ben Richards. He lives in that now familiar future dystopia where killing been turned into game show entertainment for the baying masses as a distraction from the misery of life and corruption of those in power. Desperate for cash to pay for his ailing little daughter’s medical treatment, Ben unwisely signs up for the deadliest TV game of all The Running Man in which poor saps engage in a city-wide game of hide and seek in the hope of winning a fortune but are usually hunted down and killed by the show’s paid assassins. As Ben is chased through the city by hunters and drones, the film starts to resemble a more brutal version of the Channel 10 tv show Hunted.
Typically, Edgar Wright throws a lot into the mix with a moderately inventive look at future technology and social mores as well as plenty of violent action. Some of the action is impressively dynamic although a few scenes are just messy and downright confusing.
The film wobbles uneasily, though, between grim Blade Runner-esque sci if drama and goofy action comedy. In the end the latter tends to win out and accompanied by Edgar Wright’s signature hyper manic editing, becomes slightly annoying.
It also doesn’t help that Powell isn’t particularly memorable in the lead role. He’s solid enough as Richards and has the requisite physicality but he’s hardly the most charismatic screen presence. Here, he’s evokes a younger, musclier Tim Allen. Consequently, he’s unable to elicit the level of empathy the character needed. Josh Brolin, who is almost always a commanding screen presence, is effectively creepy and dislikable as despicable network boss Dan Killian. Also, Colman Domingo does a fine job in the Richard Dawson role as the sleazeball extraordinaire host of The Running Man.
There are some genuinely funny and thrilling moments and some impressively caustic satire about the media and capitalism but Wright’s scattergun style detracts from the film’s impact as an action film, as science fiction and as social commentary.
Nick’s rating: ***
Genre: Science Fiction/ Action/ Comedy.
Classification: MA15+.
Director(s): Edgar Wright.
Release date: 13th Nov 2025.
Running time: 133 mins.
Reviewer: Nick Gardener can be heard on “Built For Speed” every Friday night from 8-10pm on 88.3 Southern FM.
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