The Running Man (2025)

Edgar Wright's adaptation of Stephen King's 1982 novel is a far more faithful adaptation than the 1987 action thriller starring Arnie in the lead role. That's not to knock the original; there's much to enjoy form the scrappy, scratchy eighties action thriller- albeit one that doesn't have much substance. Hey, it's an Arnie action movie.

There was seemingly nothing to get excited about when the remake of The Running Man was announced, bar the fact that Wright seemed an interesting choice for director; he's brought us at least one of the best British comedies of all time (take your pick from Sean of the Dead [2004], or Hot Fuzz [2007] and The World's End [2013] isn't bad either] as well as Scott Pilgrim Vs the World (2005)- and his last film, 2021's Last Night in Soho, showed admirable ambition, if not quite successful execution.

It's great to report then, that Wright doesn't simply remake The Running Man, he reinvents it for the twenty first century, with great success. The novel's events took place in the dystopian future of 2025 America, and yes there are certain critics who have jumped on this with glee, assuming that Wright's film is a Trump bashing. It's not. There are obviously clear parallels to be drawn but to start jumping on the idea that The Running Man is a comment on Trump is yet another lazy assessment from critics who are now becoming so obsessed with Trump that they try to shoehorn him into every review they write. It's getting extremely tiresome.

In fact what makes these interpretations so amusing is the fact that Trump himself is always talking about fake news and how the media runs everything and is entirely biased- which is exactly what the crux of The Running Man is about. Glen Powell takes on the Arnie role as the titular character named Ben- a man who repeatedly loses his job through supposed insubordination, and with an ill daughter at home and a frustrated wife- needs money badly to buy medication for his little girl. So, after exhausting every other potential avenue, he resorts to appearing on the game show The Running Man, in which the contestants have to evade the 'hunters' in the real world for thirty days to receive a hefty pay-out- in full view of the world.

All is not as it seems however, as our hero quickly finds out. The 'Network'- run by Josh Brolin's big bad with exquisite teeth- manipulate, edit, and essentially run everything that's going on in Ben's world. Far too late, Ben realises he's entered a game that's rigged, and the Network can now seemingly get Ben to do whatever they want by blackmailing him with the threat of harming his family. But, Ben is cleverer than Brolin's Dan assumes, and soon we're party to a hugely entertaining chase movie, in which you can see the money in almost every shot. It's somewhat futile to compare it with the 1987 version, but Wright's film is far more expansive in terms of emotional pull, and more importantly in terms of budget, the world building. There's also plenty of humour, with Michael Cera turning up in the film's second half and nearly stealing the film from everyone around him. Ultimately it might not be anything new in terms of futuristic dystopian Sci-fi thrillers, but Wright is astute enough to make the most out of his resources. The Running Man is what it is. Sure, there's a much darker version you could make, but Wright's film is thoroughly entertaining, with hugely enjoyable performances and fantastic world building. 7.4/10