The Running Man (2025)

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ movieswetextedabout.com/the-running-man-movie-review-a-lot-of-running-for-an-underwhelming-finish-line/

"The Running Man falls short of the potential that Edgar Wright and the source material suggested, though it's an efficient vehicle for the talent and charisma of Glen Powell and presents themes that could and should be incisive.

Its narrative repetition, unnecessary exposure of its messages, and unsatisfactory ending prevent it from becoming a memorable dystopian thriller. It's competent and perfectly acceptable entertainment, but it lacks the impact and significance it promised.

We're left with the echo of an undeniable truth: even in the most rigged and predatory spectacle, the fire of hope and rebellion can't be televised, bought, or silenced."

Rating: C+

With his young daughter in need of some basic medication that he and his wife cannot afford, “Richards” (Glen Powell) sets off to enrol in the most taxing of television game shows. If he can stay alive for thirty days, he will win a gazillion new dollars and be able to live, with his family, like a king. Of course, he learns fairly quickly that this will never be a fair fight as the show’s boss “Killian” (Josh Brolin) makes quite clear. This is going to be brutal stuff, with the population actively encouraged to report his whereabouts for a cash bonus, so the goons or the “hunters” can come and waste him. Now he isn’t exactly your average ye-ha ninja type. He’s more your decent, gym going, family man - so what chance he can adapt and survive in the face of betrayal and bullets? It starts off quite promisingly, and as usual Powell is fully aware that much of his appeal on screen is down to his willingness to wear (nor not) a skimpy towel, but once we get into the adventure proper this all reminded me too too much of a “Hunger Games” production - complete with remote television cameras and exuberant live television coverage from “Bobby T” (Colman Domingo). There’s a blink and you’ll miss it cameo from William H. Macy which could have been delivered by just about anyone and if you’re especially eagle-eyed you might spot Sandra Dickinson here as she and Michael Cera attempt to provide our runaway with some much needed moral support. “Richards” accrues cash for each kill and for each day he survives, and that also reflects the level-up, video-game, style of these adventures with each getting more lucratively perilous and him becoming more like John Wick as the days go by. The sense of menace? Well that doesn’t really survive an increasingly relentless sequence of predictable CGI-driven pyrotechnics and it just possible that Powell isn’t the best casting here. He’s easy on the eye and charismatic, but he isn’t convincing at any stage as things heat up and neither are Brolin or Domingo who just overact. It could readily lose half an hour without compromising the gist of the original Stephen King story and I just couldn’t help thinking it was released too close to “The Long Walk” which is similar in concept and better in delivery. It’s watchable enough, but I’m not sure I will remember it any more than Arnie’s more static, studio-based, version from 1987.

Pretty fun and entertaining remake/re-adaptation that features a fine performance from Glen Powell alongside solid action scenes. Josh Brolin's shear presence made home quite good even if it's a thinly written character and one who doesn't have a ton of screen time. Nothing groundbreaking but still worth checking out. **3.75/5**

There's often a very good reason why they say a film is "adapted" from a literary work.

Such was the case with the 1988 film, "Running Man". Ably adapted from Stephen Kings literary work, it condensed a much longer tale, into a manageable and entertaining package.

Regrettably, what has been repeatedly touted as an advantage, that is the new film, following the literary work of King more closely, is anything but. This is an overly long, at times thoroughly boring film, that's lacking in both pace and direction. Worse still, its narrative is devoid of depth and wit, leaving characters who feel more like caricatures. Unsurprisingly too, its woke. Who didn't see that coming?

The net result is a film I personally found so tiresome and dreary, I ended up rewatching the thoroughly satisfying original, to cheer myself up.

In summary, overly long, lacking in pace and direction, narratively impoverished, populated by card board cut out caricatures. My advice, if you are new to this tale, watch the 1988 original. Its leagues ahead of this burnt offering.

### **Review: *The Running Man (2025)***

**Score: 7/10**

Comparing any remake to the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger classic is a brutal contest. The original is a beloved, muscle-bound, high-camp satire of 80s media and authoritarianism, where the puns are as thick as the biceps. The 2025 adaptation wisely doesn't try to be that. It takes Stephen King's (writing as Richard Bachman) original dystopian novel and the core concept of a deadly game show—where convicts run for their lives while being hunted by celebrity "Stalkers"—and grafts it onto a sleek, modern framework. The result is a surprisingly tense, socially conscious thriller that largely succeeds on its own terms, though it can't escape the long shadow of its predecessor's iconic swagger.

**Where the 2025 Version Excels (And Diverges Radically):**

* **Tone & Atmosphere:** Forget the garish, neon-lit spectacle. This version is a **gritty, grounded, and genuinely stressful survival thriller**. The focus is on claustrophobic chase sequences, clever evasion, and the psychological torment of being hunted. It trades the original's cartoonish gladiators for more believable, tech-augmented hunters and a game that feels like a sinister, nationwide social media event.
* **Social Commentary:** While the 1987 film satirised game shows and TV culture, the 2025 update is a sharp critique of **algorithmic entertainment, surveillance capitalism, and influencer culture**. The "Running Man" show is a TikTok/Twitch hybrid gone horribly wrong, where public approval and viral engagement dictate a contestant's fate. It feels frighteningly plausible.
* **The Protagonist:** Our new Ben Richards is no invincible super-cop. He's a desperate, resourceful everyman, played with a compelling mix of vulnerability and grit. His fight feels more like a struggle for survival than a one-man revolution, making the stakes feel more immediate and personal.

**Where It Stumbles in the Comparison:**

* **The Charisma Deficit:** This is the unavoidable trade-off. The new film lacks the sheer, **iconic bravado and quotable lunacy** of the original. There's no equivalent to "Here is Sub-Zero... Now, plain zero!" or a villain as deliciously hammy as Richard Dawson's Killian. The 2025 version's antagonists are sinister and slick, but they aren't *fun* in the same way.
* **A Sombre Experience:** It is a far more serious film. The dark humour and satirical edge of the original are replaced with a relentless, anxious tone. You won't leave with a pumped fist and a smile; you'll leave feeling like you've narrowly escaped a digital panopticon. For fans of the original's flavour, this can feel like a loss.

**The Verdict:**

If you go in expecting a nostalgic rehash of Arnie's one-liners and explosive set-pieces, you will be **bitterly disappointed**. However, if you can accept it as a **complete re-imagining** that uses the same premise to tell a different story for a different era, it is a successful and compelling film.

It stands as a strong, **7/10 dystopian thriller**—tense, smartly updated, and visually distinct. It understands that today's horrors are less about theatrical dictators and more about omnipresent screens and crowd-sourced cruelty. The 1987 film is a time-capsule classic of 80s excess; the 2025 version is a sleek, paranoid warning for the digital age. They are two very different victories.