REVIEW: “The Running Man” (2025)

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“The Running Man” is the second movie based on Stephen King’s 1982 novel. The first adaptation was the 1987 action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, which imagined a futuristic 2017. This new version comes from director Edgar Wright, but it doesn’t feel quite like his usual work. While his style is still present, the film seems more like a standard studio production than a truly personal project.

Glen Powell is the clear standout in “The Running Man.” He’s incredibly charismatic and brings a fun, energetic vibe to the film, making it consistently watchable. Powell fully invests himself in his roles, elevating both the heartfelt family scenes and the over-the-top action. However, even with his strong performance, the film suffers from an uneven script that fluctuates between engaging and dull.

The new film, “The Running Man 2025,” draws more inspiration from Stephen King’s book than the earlier movie adaptation. Director Wright emphasizes the bleak, dystopian world, packing the story with numerous social and political problems – including issues with healthcare, class differences, wealth inequality, corporate wrongdoing, unions, misleading media, violence on TV, strict government control, and propaganda. While the film touches on many of these topics, it often does so superficially, without exploring them in depth.

Colin Powell stars as Ben Richards, a devoted husband and father struggling to make ends meet. He lost his job at the steel mill after reporting a dangerous, but expensive, safety issue, angering his bosses. Meanwhile, his two-year-old daughter is sick with the flu, forcing his wife, Sheila (Jayme Lawson), to work extra hours and multiple jobs to cover medical bills. This adds to Ben’s frustration and fuels his desire to provide for his family.

I’ve always been fascinated by dystopian futures, and the premise of “The Running Man” is just chilling. It follows Ben, a guy down on his luck and desperate for cash, who ends up trying to get on one of these twisted reality shows put on by this mega-corporation, The Network. He gets chosen for “The Running Man” – and it’s brutal. Basically, contestants, called ‘runners,’ are thrown into the city and have to survive for a month while people – ‘Hunters’ – try to track them down and kill them, all for the entertainment of a TV audience. The prize is a billion new dollars, but let’s be real, nobody’s ever made it to the end. It’s a truly terrifying concept.

I’m really getting into this show! The premise is awesome – runners are trying to survive, but they can actually earn extra money by taking out the Hunters. It’s a dangerous game though, because regular citizens get rewarded for turning the runners in! They kicked things off by releasing Ben and a couple of decoys into the city, which was a fantastic setup. And honestly, the show is already boosted by some really fun supporting characters. Josh Brolin is hilarious as Dan Killian, the guy who created the whole thing, and Colman Domingo is just brilliant as the over-the-top host. It’s a great combination!

After the initial setup, “The Running Man” follows a predictable pattern: Ben is moved from one action sequence to the next. Along the way, he meets kind people who help him, turning him into an unlikely rebel fighting against a harsh government. However, these allies, while interesting, don’t really move the plot forward in a significant way.

Ben gains a few unexpected allies: Bradley Throckmorton (Daniel Ezra), a secret online personality revealing the truth about “The Running Man”; Elton Parrakis (Michael Cera), a strange activist quietly starting his own rebellion against The Network; and Amelia (Emilia Jones), a realtor who appears out of the blue. While they offer some commentary against the system and a bit of comic relief, these characters don’t play major roles in the overall story.

Okay, so I really enjoyed parts of this movie, especially the action – it was genuinely fun and Powell was great! But honestly, Wright kind of lost the plot towards the end. It felt like he was stretching things out too long, and the finale just didn’t quite land with the impact I was hoping for. It’s a shame, because the movie tries to say a lot, and it is exciting, but it doesn’t quite have that special Edgar Wright spark that makes his films so memorable. It felt a little uneven, trying to be both a deep story and a pure action flick, and not quite nailing either perfectly.

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2025-11-17 18:58