The Running Man

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.

It didn't make a lick of sense, the addition of running in the world and the hunters being just dudes in camo and ski masks, the girl only exists for a minute around an hour and half into the movie... It was worse by far in every respect than the Arnie movie, it felt an hour too long, it was dumb rather than a romp or farcical l.

It was too silly to be serious, scenes were too long-winded to be fast-paced, the action existed and were fine for what they were, but it was too many plot points and too many subplots, and too many focus-shifting, the producer and host being different people was messy, and the last couple of scenes after the plane fight were moronic.

It just felt like a bunch of poor to average fight and action set pieces and the movie was just there to put them in order and give them an excuse to happen.

It wasn't fun, compelling or interesting at all, but it wasn't actively bad.

Absolutely baffling that Edgar Wright gets hold of a Stephen King novel and it comes out like his most studio-approved movie yet. Where is the edge? The style? The wit is filtered, the action diluted. Don't get me started on the ending - be bold you cowards!

A few of the sequences save the movie from being completely dull. Cursed Home Alone and the hotel stuff give the movie some of its life, the rest supplied by the actors in top form. Powell, Brolin, Domingo, Cera, and Brother Day (Pace) are excellent here.

It needed a tighter script, clever editing and any idiosyncrasies. Basically, it needed an Edgar Wright who still had things to prove. Maybe he was scared of another Ant-Man scenario? Who can say.

Perhaps it's unfair to judge the film with Hot Fuzz seared into the synapses, but an inherent injustice is thematically appropriate, and I am feeling mighty wronged.

The Running Man had everything it needed to become an unforgettable remake for a new era: a superb director with an enviable track record in Edgar Wright, a unique premise based on a Stephen King novel, an iconic 80s adaptation starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, a huge budget, and a charismatic lead in Glen Powell.

Yet somehow, it ended up becoming the most generic, bland-looking adaptation imaginable-something that could easily pass for yet another forgettable Netflix action movie.

Despite its premise being more relevant than ever in today's society, the film squanders every opportunity. Instead of leaning into its unsettling themes, it delivers a shallow, almost childish message. The story steadily loses steam scene by scene, drifting into randomness and culminating in a terrible third act that strips away any real stakes or emotional resonance, all in favor of a cliché happy ending clearly aiming to set up a sequel that will never happen.

The visuals and action sequences are equally uninspired. They're entertaining, sure, but they have none of the flair, wit, or creativity that define Edgar Wright's style. Ironically, the film's entertainment value rests almost entirely on Glen Powell's shoulders-he brings energy and charisma despite a script that gives him little to work with.

In the end, The Running Man is an entertaining enough popcorn flick, but it leaves absolutely no impact. It's a painfully wasted opportunity that could-and should-have been so much more.

Remake of 1987 film and adapted from Stephen King novel, The Running Man sees Ben Richards (Glenn Powell) entering a dangerous game with higher stakes for the sake of his family.

The major reason why this movie had me interested was because of Edgar Wright, who has given amazing flicks year-after-year.

With regards to narrative, it was simple yet was weak in construction. While the first half had some intriguing elements, the second half was sluggish, stretched and lost it's steam, even before reaching the final act. The cast did a decent job in terms of performances. Glen Powell was charismatic and Josh Brolin was evil in his own ways.

Edgar Wright's kinetic flavour isn't quite as present here as it has been on Baby Driver. There are certainly some finely crafted action sequences, however it stretches on for too long. The humour jokes didn't land, in most of the cases. The camera work and strong background score was missing, as we have seen in other movies from the director.

The world felt quite two-dimensional. It was on the precipice of making an interesting point but settled in a elementary commentary. This was a disappointment in terms of leaving an impact.

Overall, The Running Man is an underwhelming flick, given the director's strong filmography, although it has some cool moments.

My Rating : 6/10.