In a near-future society, The Running Man is the top-rated show on television—a deadly competition where contestants, known as Runners, must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with every move broadcast to a bloodthirsty public and each day bringing a greater cash reward. Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is convinced by the show’s charming but ruthless producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), to enter the game as a last resort. But Ben’s defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite—and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters, but a nation addicted to watching him fall.
What We Thought:
I hate remakes for the most part so I don’t know if I can call this 2025 version of The Running Man a disappointment. I do like director Edgar Wright and Glen Powell so I was hoping to at least enjoy the new version of the awesome Arnold Schwarzenegger 1980s flick. Unfortunately I didn’t like it in the slightest. Despite being a more authentic adaptation to Stephen King’s original story, the film fell completely flat to me and somehow made Powell boring and uncharismatic.
That’s the biggest issue with the film, I had no real reason to care about anything happening. Powell plays Ben Richards who signs up to do The Running Man TV show because he needs money for his sick kid. Cool, I can grasp that concept and understand his reasoning. The problem is Richards though. He’s broke because he loses job after job because of anger and his entire personality is based on anger. He has a great reason to root for (the sick kid), but his persona is so wrapped up in anger and capitalism is bad that I genuinely forgot about his family during parts of the movie.
To make matters worse, every other character is flat and underdeveloped. Everyone that helps him along the way is one-dimensional. Oh that guy is a hacker. Oh that guy is anti-network or anti-business. The other runners are stereotypical as well with one being a nerdy guy and the other a gay woman. Schwarzenegger’s film is almost 40 years old and you still remember the characters and one-liners. I’ll never watch this again.
Had I not known The Running Man was an Edgar Wright movie I would have never guessed it after watching it. It lacks his trademark styling that usually uses music brilliantly with visuals and fun. It was a slog to get through and made Powell not enjoyable. It beats you over the head with messages and not one character is memorable. It bombed at the box office for a reason.
The Nerds Templar 