The Running Man (2025) Movie Review
In a year where Stephen King adaptations have been the belle of the cinematic ball (see The Life of Chuck and The Long Walk), movie fans continue to eat well as a new take on King’s under-pseudonym novel The Running Man, which got the Schwarzenegger treatment in the 80s, blasts on to the big screen from dynamic director Edgar Wright and one of Hollywood’s hottest stars Glen Powell.
In a not-to-distant, dystopian future, where the immense class divide between the rich and the poor is at a tense boiling point, outlandish, but insanely popular, reality TV game shows becomes Ben Richards’ (Powell) only option to get enough money to get his sick daughter the treatment she needs, as his hot-tempered attitude hasn’t been helpful in holding down the shitty jobs made available to him.
Richard’s athleticism, grit and determination during the tryouts lead him to being selected for absolute last choice, and the most dangerous of shows – The Running Man, where for 30 days, Richards will be hunted by an elite group of killers, and for each day he survives, his prize grows and grows. But, as the deadly game goes on, and Richards begins to unravel the corruption behind the scenes at the hands of Killian (Josh Brolin), and soon becomes a fiery spark for an uprising.
No stranger to action with films like Hot Fuzz and Baby Driver under his belt, Edgar Wright knows how to dynamically move the camera around the most explosive and anarchic set pieces, and The Running Man features a lot of fist-pumping action, including a brutally violent and entertaining Home Alone style escape and a tense car chase involving a helicopter. Action is probably used a little more sporadically throughout the film that some may be expecting, but there is a brutality in its sparsity that highlights the iron-first power held over those who are at the behest of the network.
Even though the action is exciting and thrilling, there is a specific “Edgar Wright” style that does feel missing from the direction and editing of The Running Man. Wright has crossed genres many times before, but his dynamic, frantic, fast-paced filmmaking style has always stood out as a great staple, but it does feel absent here. Whether it wasn’t going to fit the tone of the film or not could be up for debate, but the way Wright and co-writer Michael Bacall attempt to inject a signature style of comedy into this action-packed social commentary, making the stylistic and technical aspects that are missing stand out even more.
This is where some of the film’s issues arise, as it is tonally a mixed bag. That missing heightened style seemingly would’ve matched perfectly with the bravado filled performances that stem from each cast member. Powell garners the audience’s empathy early with his family-man persona building the emotional investment, before the hero one-liners and more action-star driven elements shine through, which hits and misses throughout. Then you have Brolin and Colman Domingo, playing the showman host of The Running Man, who are going very big, often with entertaining results. The characters in this world are big, and very reflective of the idea that personality sells in reality TV, and apparently is a hot commodity in this future.
But the big characters often take away from the anti-capitalist sentimentality that is rife through The Running Man. Eat the rich and the revolution uprising are heavily focused on throughout, but explored with enough depth to feel as hard hitting as it could’ve been. It’s presented in the story with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, and while nuance is not necessarily on The Running Man’s menu, it is the one aspect of the film that feels like it’s been taken most seriously, outside of the action, which again doesn’t also match up tonally.
There is an exhilaration that is felt in the first half of the film, once Wright takes his time setting up the world and Richards’ journey, but the sporadic action and jarring time and location jumps, which often introduces new characters for small sections of the film, often work against the flow of the film. Even though the story of The Running Man logically demands that Richards ends up in new places, meeting new people in the hopes that they will help him survive, perhaps a film adaptation of the story is just not one that flows well to the big screen.
The Running Man has a lot of exciting moments, a fair few funny encounters, and showcases some entertaining bravado from the heightened performances. But an obvious lack of Wright’s beloved filmmaking style, and a lot of tonal and narrative jumbling, it feels like there is a lot more potential that’s been left behind in service for a completely fine actioner.
The Running Man is in Australian cinemas November 13
