Do you miss the type of action movies that were big blasts of fun without insulting the audience? If so, Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Stephen King’s (writing under his pseudonym Richard Bachman) The Running Man is a must-see. The director brings his love of 80s action extravaganzas (and his admiration for directors such as John McTiernan and Walter Hill) to his version of King’s story with a good deal of success.

Actor Paul Michael Glazer (TV’s “Starsky”) helmed the 1987 adaptation from a screenplay by Steven E. de Souza (Die Hard, 48 Hrs.). With Arnold Schwarzenegger as the star, the picture should have been a huge box office smash. Negative reviews and the wrong choice of directors hampered its success. Flawed, dumb, and just too cheesy for most genre fans, over the years the film shockingly became somewhat of a cult classic.

Living in this modern era of remakes, reboots, and movies that cash in on name recognition, there was bound to be an update. With this film, Edgar Wright and his co-screenwriter Michael Bacall prove they understand the most important rule. There is no need to redo a great film. When remaking something, find a project that could/should have been something special, but failed for whatever reason. Take a flawed work and make it better. Hence their gleefully exciting throwback that is 2025’s The Running Man.

Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is a husband and father who lives in the “Slumside”area of Co-Op City, a futuristic America where money and corporations make the laws and rule over citizens with absolute power. Richards has an anger problem and his current situation is not helping. His infant daughter has been feverish for days. Due to his inner rage that constantly spits in the face of authority, Ben has lost another in a series of jobs; insubordination the one constant. His wife Sheila (Jayme Lawson) must work triple shifts at a sleazy club that neither she nor her hubby wants anything to do with.

While The Running Man is over two hours (and gets a lot of bang for its buck), the screenplay needed to let the audience spend a little more time with the Richards clan. It is understood that Ben is a desperate father who wants his child to be healthy and his wife to feel safe, but the film would have benefited from a closer look at their family dynamic.

Understandably, Wright and Bacall want to get to “the good stuff” and it isn’t long until Ben auditions for the Free Vee Network to appear on one of their many game shows. Each show is a reflection of where society is heading and, in many instances, what it has already become.This is where Wright and Bacall’s adaptation finds its fire. Over the decades, America has fed on hypocrisy, bloodlust, and hero worship. What modern tv watchers call “entertainment” is not-so slowly eroding our collective moral compasses. “Reality” television has increasingly morphed into watching people humiliate and degrade themselves for money and a few months of recognition. High ratings make celebrities out of people who would not be able to work a fryer at a fast food joint.

One of the film’s funniest through-lines is a vicious takedown of The Kardashians, featuring Debi Mazar as the matriarch. These background scenes are this film’s “I’d Buy That For a Dollar”, from Paul Verhooven’s Robocop.

Stephen King saw this coming over 40 years ago and crafted his tale as a cautionary warning. The only thing that modern television hasn’t lowered itself to producing is real-time violence. As we stand in 2025 America, it probably isn’t too far off.

First published in 1982, the plot seemed a whacked-out fantasy jab at the way things could be. Nowadays, King’s story is an unfortunate mirror; reflecting the ugliness of our country, the violent nature of modern society, and the unchecked balance of those in power.

Most of the games degrade and hurt people, sometimes causing death. The most offensive being the nationwide smash, The Running Man, a ratings titan where contestants try to survive 30 days on the run while tracked by a group of professional killers called the Hunters.

The show is run by the unscrupulous head of the network, Dan Killian, played by a smarmy and dangerous Josh Brolin. Killian and the show feed off the country’s poor by allowing the public to get cash prizes for spotting and turning in the runners. Again a reflection of an America whose government pisses on the poor while tricking them into believing how much their leaders care.

Richards does not want to be a contestant, but Killian is a smooth talker. Feeling he has no other choice, Richards suits up and the show has a new star runner. The one billion dollar survival prize is just too tempting.

With the always dazzling Colman Domingo as the show’s flashy host, Bobby Thompson, the game (and Ben Richards) is off and running. The film has fun with Ben’s frantic attempt to stay alive. Where the 1987 version was all flash and explosions and gunfire, Wright’s take finds an undertone of satire while making Richards an Everyman stuck in a situation beyond his control.

Glen Powell gets to do a modern John McClane and pulls it off nicely. His quips come naturally, much like Bruce Willis. These are good men thrust into intense life and death situations. Sometimes a little laughter can ease a troubled mind. Powell chalks up another winning performance that has charm, heart, and grit.

The film’s first half stays pretty true to the material. Wright’s pacing works well, amping up to the adrenaline release of the second half with Ben Richards on the run. This half holds onto King’s intended observations regarding the power mad who destroy society in pursuit of more wealth. Along the way, Edgar Wright gives his audience some fun side characters and an exciting buffet of clever action scenes.

Katy O’Brian and Martin Herlihy get good mileage as Ben’s fellow runners. Karl Glusman and Lee Pace sink their teeth into the villainous Hunters and William H. Macy has a nice bit as one of Richards’ underground contacts.

Michael Cera is a blast as a man named Elton (just don’t ask him about Hot Dogs), who has the film’s most entertaining sequence. His character lives with his mad momma (Sandra Dickinson) in a big house. He gives shelter to Richards, making him fake I.D.s to help him stay alive. Once his mother calls the Hunters to tell them Richards is in their home, Elton salivates at the thought of them sending in their goons. What follows is an entertainingly violent Home Alone– tinged segment where Elton gets to use his booby trapped house to fight back against the fascists. The moment is the most inventive blast of fun Edgar Wright has crafted since his instant classic horror-comedy, SHAUN OF THE DEAD.

All of the action works and Wright knows how to shoot it. A long time student of Cinema, the filmmaker has learned a lot from Walter Hill, John Landis, and Sam Raimi; each a major influence on the director. Wright and cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung use their frame, showing the scope of the corporate world that towers over the “lesser” parts of the city. The camera dollies and pans and moves in tandem with the action, never allowing these scenes to overtake the story or its characters.

The finale pivots away from the darker ending in King’s novel. For modern audiences, that probably works best, but if Wright was going for the 80s vibe, sticking to the book’s original outcome would have given the filmmaker his John Carpenter moment.

While the final section might have been trimmed a bit, Edgar Wright has done a fantastic job. The Running Man is a well-crafted entertainment with relatable characters, good action, well-placed humor, and a little something to say.

 

The Running Man

Written by Edgar Wright & Michael Bacall (Based on the novel by Stephern King, writing as Richard Bachman)

Directed by Edgar Wright

Starring Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, Jayme Lawsom, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, Karl Glusman, William H. Macy

R, 133 Minutes, Paramount Pictures