Review: "The Running Man"
- Drew Moniot
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Edgar Wright is a talented young director who knows how to energize a movie.
His films include: Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007) Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), The World’s End (2013) and Baby Driver (2017).
I’m a huge fan.
His latest film is a remake of the 1987 film also titled The Running Man, that was written in 1982 by Richard Bachman (a pseudonym used by Stephen King). It starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and became became a modern cult classic.
Interestingly the story in the novel was set in the year 2025. Perhaps more interesting, was the fact that the original 1987 film was set in the year 2017. Like so many movies set in the future, the writers often fail to turn the clock far enough ahead. Famous examples include Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey that, despite all the advice from scientists and technical advisors, missed the mark predicting the development of space flight and computer technology. No one has a crystal ball.
This version of The Running Man takes place in 2025, though it appears to be a not-too-distant-future in which things are slightly futuristic but still very familiar. In that world, current popular entertainment such as the hit TV show Survivor has evolved into a high stakes show in which contestants are turned loose and then hunted down and killed on live broadcasts. It is perhaps a throwback to the barbarism and gladiators of ancient Rome. The message here is that history can sometimes come around full circle.
Glen Powell plays Ben Richards, a tough guy with serious anger issues who has a soft spot in his heart for the lady of his life and their toddler. The baby is seriously ill and in need of medical assistance they can’t afford.
Ben decides to become a contestant in a wildly popular game show so dangerous that no one survives. To win, you must stay on the run for 30 days while professional killers known as hunters try to track you down and kill you on live TV. The prize is enough money to make you rich forever. Ben is just trying to afford to pay a doctor.
Like so many great action flicks, The Running Man is essentially a chase movie. A man desperately running for his life with spectators ratting him out and scary masked men in hot pursuit. They look like futuristic ICE agents. Sphere-shaped camera drones capture all the action from multiple angles. It’s a hell of a show.
There is no one better to tell a story like this than Edgar Wright who knows how to stage elaborate chase sequences and coordinate hair-raising stunts. It is his forte.
Crucial to the success of a story like this is casting the right leading actor. It is a perfect role for Glen Powell whose recent hit movies included: Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and The Hit Man (2023). He’s good looking and he’s tough.
He’s in top physical condition and completely convincing as a guy who could outrun an army of assassins and survive a barrage of bullets and endless explosive devices.
He's the hard-as-nails anti-establishment, anti-hero, who used to be played by guys like Mel Gibson. Like Gibson’s best characters, he’s a bit off his rocker, but that only makes him more interesting and likeable. Powell is one of Hollywood’s brightest young actors. He has it all.
The Running Man isn’t just about a guy running for his life. It’s also a clever, very timely commentary on the current state of affairs. It’s about the haves and the have-nots, and the powerful dark forces that seek to manipulate people by controlling their minds. They will stop at nothing, including rigging the game, murdering people and maliciously altering mass media videos using AI. It’s all about ratings and money. The Network is the evil entity in the movie. It’s a metaphor for the evil that exists in the real world.
While the movie runs a tad long (2h 13m) it never runs out of steam. The action is non-stop. There are many delightful twists and turns.
Interestingly, parts of the film resemble some of the best action sequences in the James Bond movies, in particular a climactic fight on a high-altitude, supersonic jet. It is beautifully staged, shot and edited.
It’s a shame that the new owners of the James Bond franchise didn’t hire Edgar Wright to direct it. He’d hit it out of the park.
Likewise, The Running Man makes the case that maybe the best choice for the new James Bond would be Glen Powell. He might need a little help from a dialog coach regarding a British accent, but he has all the rugged good looks, genuine charm and physical presence to play 007. That, and tons of “Don’t-f**k-with-me” attitude.
Hey, Amazon MGM Studios, is anyone listening?