The Running Man

I think that most of us have probably all seen the 80s cult classic Running Man starring Arnold and when I heard that this version was going to be closer to the book which I haven't read. I was intrigued, would it be good? Another remake of an Arnold film like Total Recall, is it necessary?

For me personally it delivered and was the 80s action throwback that I was looking for.

Glen Powell stars as Ben Richards, a down and out rebel working pay check to pay check to provide for his family who gets blacklisted and has no other choice but to enter The Running Man due to his child needing medication.

Colman Domingo is great as Bobby T, the host of The Running Man TV Show, hamming it up all the way and working alongside Josh Brolin's Dan Killian (a shady network producer).

The film was well acted, decent special effects and action scenes and you really felt the weight of Powell's character as he tries to evade the hunters on his trail, lead by their illustrious masked leader (played by Lee Pace).

There seems to be a lot of mixed reviews of this and some outright hating it (Nerdrotic, The Critical Drinker). I think where this stems from is it isn't the usual flare from Edgar Wright that we are used to, does that make it a bad film? No, by no means.

All I really wanted was to switch my brain off and be entertained by some cheesy manly action, did I get that, yes.

There was also some political commentary which I found very welcoming about society, the government, deepfakes etc.

I would highly recommend you give this a shot yourself and don't rely on the critics to decide for you if you'd enjoy it or not.

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.

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!

People might say that it's a good popcorn movie, but I gotta say that a good popcorn movie is still a good movie. Glen has done a great job on acting.

As you know, the story is from Stephen King so it has some sort of guarantee that the plot wasn't gonna be that bad. In fact, i view that it is quite good even though there is a lack of depth in some part. Still, for a two hour movie, it has done a pretty great job on capturing the story. Although in some scenes, it's quite prolonging.

This movie is surely fulfilling the criteria of whatever action movie should have. There's an excitement as it will make you rooting for the runners. Some scenes may be predictable, but it is not easy as it seems. So just go watch it, it won't disappoint you.

Really wanted to love this. I'm a big Stephen King fan and was curious how they would carry out an updated version of the movie. They had me all the until the last quarter of the movie where it felt like they just didn't know how to end it. Scarf girl wasn't necessary and better use of Lee Pace could have made the ending better.