When asked, many people will confirm that they can willingly do anything for their loved ones, including giving their lives up, but when the time comes to step up, they chicken out.
The movie I just watched left a question etched in my mind: Would you be willing to risk everything to give the ones you love the life they deserve? This question sets the stage for the sci-fi adventure movie The Running Man.
The movie follows Ben Richards, a husband and father in a dystopian America who is unable to cater for his family as a result of prevailing classism and injustice in his society. He seeks to alleviate his family so he signs up to a game show called "The Running Man". The rules of the game are simple: survive 30 days with the entire nation hunting you down and win a billion dollars. Sounds easy right?
The movie is a remake of the 1987 adaptation of Steven King's Novel- The Running Man, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, it is directed by Edgar Wright, has a run time of 133 minutes and released on the 7h of November 2025.
Glen Powell is Ben Richards, and he faces off against Josh Brolin who plays the main antagonist of the show. Other supporting characters are played by Colman Domingo, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson and Katy M’Obrien.
Glen Powell is always an enjoyable actor to watch, and it is very fascinating how he always brings much life to his characters. At several points, I found myself rooting for his characters victory, because of how emotionally driven his story was. He was ready to risk everything for his family, but when the time came, he chose not to act out of self-interest. Instead, he stood up to the corporation that upheld classism in his society and, and quite effectively burn it all down.
The visual effects perfectly captured what you would expect in a dystopian society, and the soundtracks used throughout the film kept things interesting. The movie properly portrayed themes of Classism, Corporate Control, Propaganda, Media-Exploitation, Survival and Resistance.
Despite this, the film struggled with world-building and included several unnecessary scenes that extended the runtime without adding substance. The humour leaned heavily into satire, sometimes at the expense of emotional weight.
Additionally, many supporting characters were underdeveloped, making it difficult to connect with them, which ultimately caused the film to lack depth.
One of my favorite scenes from the movie was towards the end when Glen Powell set a well thought out plan in motion, one that I didn't exactly see coming. It was such a beautiful thing to witness.
YouTube
The movie had a lot of action scenes with daring stunts, and an enjoyable watch for anybody that enjoys action thrillers. The acting was phenomenal and I had a lot of fun watching the movie despite its shortcomings. I particularly liked that it was a novel adaptation, as I would encourage more stories from novels to be brought to the big screen.
I would give the movie a solid 7 out of 10 rating, as even though it was a fun experience, the plot felt drawn out in parts, and the film was largely carried by Glen Powells performance. I recommend this to anyone looking to have a good time, and a few good laughs.
