The Running Man review

THE RUNNING MAN: 

GLEN POWELL RUNS HIS WAY THROUGH EDGAR WRIGHT’S SLICK STEPHEN KING ADAPTATION! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Glen Powell in The Running Man

 

            Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick, Hit Man, Twisters) goes from Hangman to Running Man in…well, The Running Man, the new film from director Edgar Wright (Cornetto trilogy, Scott Pilgrim VS The World, Baby Driver) and the second movie adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name following the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger version. I rewatched the original movie recently in preparation for this film and review and I gotta say, it holds up pretty well not just as a cheesy Schwarzenegger action film where people get shot and blown up, but also its satire on how the entertainment industry will subvert the truth for the sake of television. 

            The original works in a similar way as Total Recall (Another sci-fi Schwarzenegger film) as both are over-the-top and ridiculous sci-fi action movies with underlying themes and social commentary when you dig deeper into them. Now we have this new version of the film which I normally would be skeptical about since it’s a remake, but all it took to convince me was the director attached. 

            I really admire Edgar Wright and his work, adored the 3-Flavor Cornetto trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End) with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as three of the most hysterical comedies of the 2000s-2010s, Scott Pilgrim is an underrated as f*ck comic book movie and a chaotic visual gasm of a film, and Baby Driver has some of the best editing I’ve ever seen in an action film (Also, Last Night in Soho is really good too!). Yeah, I was onboard for this right from the start and even more so after seeing the first trailer on top of 2025 just being THE year for Stephen King movie adaptations between this, The Monkey, The Life of Chuck, and The Long Walk. 

            So, I went to my IMAX theater to go watch Glen Powell run for his life and…greatly enjoyed this film. I’m not sure how most people are reacting to this movie, but I was very entertained throughout though I will admit this is probably Wright’s weakest film compared to his other work. 

            The film is set in the near future where corporate media networks rule the United States and follows Ben Richards (Powell), a down on his luck father and blacklisted worker who participates in the television series, The Running Man in hopes of raising money for his wife, Sheila (Jayme Lawson-The Batman, The Woman King, Sinners) and sick daughter. However, The Running Man is quite literally a blood sport as Ben must survive for 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins and every move he makes being broadcasted to a bloodthirsty public, the longer he lasts, the greater the cash reward is. 

            The film also stars Josh Brolin (Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sicario 1 and 2, Weapons) as Running Manproducer Dan Killian, Colman Domingo (Rustin, The Color Purple (2023), Sing Sing) as Running Man host Bobby T, Lee Pace (The Hobbit trilogy, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Foundation) as Evan McCone, Michael Cera (Superbad, Juno, Scott Pilgrim VS The World) as Elton Parrakis, Emilia Jones (Utopia, CODA, Locke & Key) as Amelia Williams, William H. Macy (Fargo, The Lincoln Lawyer, Room) as Molie Jernigan, Daniel Ezra (All American) as Bradley Thockmorton, Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding, Twisters, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning) as Jenni Laughlin, Karl Glusman (The Neon Demon, Nocturnal Animals, Civil War) as Frank, Please Don’t Destroy’s Martin Herlihy as Tim Jansky, Sean Hayes (Will & Grace, Cats & Dogs, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!) as Gary Greenbacks, and David Zayas (Dexter, Oz, The Interpreter) as Richard Manuel. 

            Overall, The Running Man is an adrenaline pumped, no holds barred thrill ride that fires on all cylinders from the opening up until the end credits with a compelling and charismatic Glen Powell at the center of it all. He is perfect for this rendition of The Running Man and what makes the movie work because while he isn’t as macho or over-the-top as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Glen Powell’s charm and balance between loving father and tough as nails action hero makes him a very endearing lead for this film. 

            With all the chaotic violence and bloodshed, I legit cared for Powell’s version of Ben Richards and his family and wanted to see him win the cash prize so he can get medicine for his sick daughter. Even when the film gets silly, there is still high stakes and emotional leverage steering it along. 

            The movie taps into a lot of themes about the government and entertainment industry and how they’ll subvert the truth for the sake of entertainment. This is a fictionalized movie where the U.S. government and media corporations merged together but tell me you can’t see someone like Donald Trump wanting to take control of the entertainment industry. 

            The action scenes are awesome though not quite as kinetic as the ones from Baby Driver, but they’re well-choreographed and edited and get your adrenaline pumping. Some of my favorites are the firefight between Glen Powell and a bunch of assassins in the hostel which was seen in the trailers and a glorious sequence of Powell and Michael Cera escaping through the latter’s booby-trapped house like it was the last Rambo movie…except this movie’s actually good. 

            I will say the ending sort of snuck up on me and even after seeing the movie, I’m not sure how I felt about the note it ended on. I was expecting more of a resolution after the Running Man show was over, but it ends somewhat abruptly and once the credits started I was like “Oh, the movie’s over?”, even the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie had more of a conclusion. 

            Despite a few shortcomings, I thoroughly enjoyed this rendition of The Running Man and is definitely worth watching on the big screen. Glen Powell’s charm, over-the-top action, and relevant social themes about the parallels between the government and media, Edgar Wright ran far for this one and in my opinion, delivered.