The Running Man (2025)

The Running Man (2025) is not quite a remake of the ‘80s Schwarzenegger movie but instead a different and more faithful version of the book written by Stephen King under the pseudonym Richard Bachman.

It’s also the return of Edgar Wright and another chance for Glen Powell to stake his claim as THE current action star (who hasn’t yet been in a superhero film).

Sadly and shockingly, it may not even be the best ‘Stephen King as Richard Bachman’ adaptation this year, let alone the film of the 2025 it so clearly could have been.

That’s a slightly overexaggerated point as that ‘other Stephen King as Richard Bachman’ movie was the excellent The Long Walk but, nonetheless, there’s just the merest smidge of disappointment that lingers at The Running Man’s denouement.

First off, this is still just a brilliant idea and story. The ‘dystopian futuristic totalitarian state’ is always an amazing setting and when you add ‘gameshow’ to that list it always leads to thrilling results. Just see The Hunger Games and Squid Game for poof of that.

The style of this world, the references, the look and the feel is absolutely awesome and you get a real sense of immersion and thrill once the game begins.

Likewise, it's 'five minutes into the future' moral messaging feels nicely prescient.

Wright sands down some of his more recognisable edges sadly but it’s in service of a zippy and fast paced action thriller that never lets up.

However, there is that horrible whiff of a ‘studio edit’ in here somewhere with some scenes that are nonsensical, riddled with holes, oddly cut or just nigh-on weird (or all of that combined.)

It nibbles at the edges of your mind and nigh on ruins the first and final quarter of the movie.

Things accelerate so quickly at the start that you have no time to relax. Everyone’s all for getting to the point but you almost feel this would work better as some sort of limited series to ingratiate better into this world and character.

Angry initially seems to be the singular defining characteristic of our hero Ben Richards and, whilst Powell is able to give the character some more depth as the film goes on, he’s not given much more to go on than that.

He's limited to laughable action phrases at points and the family that means so much to him is nigh-on written out after the first act.

As for the ending? Being generous you could label it ‘divisive’ but the brutal reality is its lack of explanation, slightly surreal edge and sped up nature takes the shine off everything you’ve just been watching.

It’s a real shame as that middle portion, the actual ‘gameshow’ segment of the film, is some of the most exciting action you’ll see this year.

It’s well shot, well acted, throws surprises and shocks, is well scored and will keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s perfect cinema of this type.

As a whole though, whilst there are elements that make this a supreme action film and a perfect Saturday night watch, it just doesn’t add up to the sum of its absolutely top tier parts.

The idea, cast, Director, source material, tone and messaging should and could equal top tier. As it is, this year the Walk is better than the Run.

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