The Running Man

This is, for 90% of the film, entertaining stuff, but without spoilers, why oh why do so many films feel the need to make endings so poor? I appreciate that for a lot of viewers good v bad is a pure binary, and that an ending has to be clear - but it makes for poor story telling. I think I am part of the target audience for this film, but I wish the film makers would credit us with being able to deal with nuance and ambiguity. The ending felt ridiculously contrived and, almost, abbreviated - for me it undermined what was a rollicking, fun, action film.

Having said all of that, it worth saying I'd still recommend this movie, Glen Powell clearly has fun in the title role. I saw the original when it came out in the late 80's - and this version is nothing like the original, other than very superficially. This film does, however, have a number of references to the first version - not least the picture of Arnold on the currency.

This is well Directed, if somewhat predictable and cliched. The action is unrelenting, and enjoyable. The script doesn't get in the way. Inevitably, one can look at the current state of politics and transpose this dystopian story onto current events - there did appear to be a deliberate slant in this film.

An entertaining movie - mostly.

When I heard Edgar was making this movie I watched the original, read the book, and got thoroughly excited for 6 months. I wasn't disappointed, for those who've read the book you'll get a lot more of that classic Richard Bachman (Steven King) classic, but perfectly streamlined and some nice changes.

For those who haven't, throw away the original movie, this isn't that, it's even better! Get to the cinema, watch it. Cracking fun.

The Running Man is a lively, vibrant, and in your face blockbuster that is sure to entertain

The story takes place in a dystopian future, where desperate protagonist Ben enters 'The Running Man', a life or death game show that sees him hunted for sport. Winning means he can lift his family out of poverty with untold riches. Failure means death. It's a good concept and it is executed well. Edgar Wright immerses us in the world very easily from the outset, getting us up to speed with some slightly clunky but effective exposition. From then on, the film maintains a vicious pace, as the title suggests. It has a fierce momentum thanks to plenty of great and varied action sequences. It's a highly entertaining piece and has a few good twists and reveals, with some nice creative flourishes too. The whole world feels gritty and lived in, and is designed really well.

I must say though, the film doesn't wield any subtlety with its themes. Everything is very on the nose and obvious, and I think there was scope to add a bit more depth here. A conversation late in the film with Powell's Ben Richards and Emilia Jones' Amelia showed what the script could have been, but ultimately the social commentary was a bit one dimensional unfortunately. I also thought there was scope, given the current climate, to comment a bit more on technology and media which again, felt slightly one dimensional. At the end of the day though this is a big blockbuster movie, so maybe I am expecting too much. This was never to the detriment of the film as it was, it just felt like a slightly missed opportunity.

What really can't be faulted though are the performances. Glen Powell is a proper movie star and he shows it once more with another fantastic leading role. He is so magnetic and extremely likeable which works so well for this role as it so easy to root for him. Supporting cast members like Colman Domingo and Josh Brolin were brilliant. Domingo in particular brought such a fun flamboyance to his character which made for a great watch. Michael Cera had a great role which he ekes every bit of comedy and drama out of. It's a really fun cast and they all rise to the occasion.

Overall then I had a really good time with this movie. The story is fun, and while I feel it was ripe for more impactful social commentary, it still did a very good job of entertaining. The action is lively, the direction solid, and the cast really fun. A guaranteed good time at the movies!

The movie is definitely not a disaster. You're not sitting there thinking "wow, what a trainwreck." The action hits, a few set pieces are genuinely exciting, and technically the movie is solid. But by the time the credits roll, it all feels surprisingly generic, especially considering who directed it.

Edgar Wright is usually a guy with a really recognizable style; very sharp editing, playful visual flair, a real sense of personality. But here it honestly feels like the studio sanded most of that off. The whole thing comes across weirdly safe and standard, like a "we don't want to scare anyone" studio project. If his name wasn't on it, I'm not sure you'd even guess it was him. It feels more like work-for-hire than something he was burning to make.

The good stuff first: when the movie goes into full action mode, it works. The chases and fights are shot clearly, you can tell what's going on, there's some good impact, and it's rarely boring while bullets are flying. The other big positive is Glenn Powell as Ben Richards. He really carries the film. He sells that mix of desperate dad who just wants to save his family and slightly unhinged guy who actually stands a chance in this rigged death game. You do end up wanting him to make it through and at the same time enjoy watching him tear into the hunters and this messed-up system.

The world itself is also cool in theory: a dystopian future where a media mega-corporation basically runs the country, a show called 'The Running Man' where three contestants are turned into public enemies through AI-generated videos and propaganda so the whole world hates them and wants them dead, and they're hunted by both regular citizens and professional killers. If they survive a month, they get a billion dollars and a new life. Ben signs up because his daughter is sick, he got blacklisted from every job for trying to do the right thing, and now he can't even afford basic medicine. The media/propaganda angle is not subtle at all - it's very on-the-nose; but that's fine, the concept can handle being blunt.

On top of that, the tone is all over the place. The world they're showing here really calls for a more serious, heavier approach: poverty, desperation, public executions as entertainment, a father throwing himself into a death show to save his kid... it's dark stuff. But the movie keeps dropping in jokes and light banter. It's not full-on Marvel quip spam, but it's enough to keep undercutting the seriousness. And the problem is, most of the jokes aren't even that funny.

You can also feel the strain of trying to stay closer to the Stephen King book. On paper that's a smart move and it definitely has nothing to do with the cheesy 80s Schwarzenegger version beyond the basic premise. But on screen it sometimes plays like they tried to cram in as many book elements as possible without giving them enough time to breathe. That leads to some bloat, weird pacing, and a general sense of "there's a better, tighter version of this story hiding in here somewhere."

As a straightforward action movie, it's watchable and even pretty fun in parts. You get good action, a strong lead performance, and an interesting world that's at least engaging on a surface level. But if you walk in expecting a new Edgar Wright classic, you're almost guaranteed to walk out disappointed. As a random action flick, it's "okay to good." As an Edgar Wright movie, it's firmly on the weaker end of his filmography. For me, it is entertaining enough for one viewing, but nowhere near as good as it could've been.

I've never read The Running Man novel, and I thought the 1987 Schwarzenegger film was a fun but forgettable piece of cheesy sci-fi. That's why I was genuinely excited for a new take-especially with Edgar Wright directing. I adore Baby Driver and Hot Fuzz, and I've never disliked anything he's made. While his 2025 version doesn't break that streak, it's easily my least favourite of his films, though still an enjoyable watch overall.

Glen Powell steps in as Ben Richards, a desperate father who agrees to compete on the deadly TV show The Running Man to save his seriously ill child. The month-long hunt for a billion-dollar prize sets up plenty of opportunities for standout supporting roles, and the cameos are a lot of fun. My favourite stretch involves Michael Cera, whose scenes with Powell have great energy and chemistry.

Where the film let me down was in its pacing and surprisingly heavy exposition. For a director known for sharp, kinetic action, Wright delivers a film that feels a bit low-energy and light on set-pieces, especially for a 2-hour-13-minute runtime. The action that is there works, but the storytelling feels too spread out, and the script over-explains things instead of trusting the audience. It also lacks the usual Edgar Wright stylistic punch, which made something feel slightly off.

Even so, Powell gives a committed performance, and the supporting cast-especially Coleman Domingo-brings a lot to the table. The action is fun when it arrives, and despite some characters needing more screen time, everyone makes their moments count. The 2025 Running Man is a great film delivered in an average way, but it's still entertaining and absolutely worth a look, even if it falls short of greatness.