Edgar Wright’s “The Running Man” is a remake of Paul Michael Glaser’s “The Running Man” (1987), which are both adaptations of Stephen King’s dystopian thriller novel of the same name, published in 1982. King wrote the novel under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman.
In “The Running Man,” Glen Powell plays Ben Richards. Ben Richards is a struggling father who is eager for a way to get money so he can buy the necessary medication for his ill daughter. His wife, Shelia Richards (Jayme Lawson), objects to him trying out for “The Network," which is an authoritarian media conglomerate that controls the U.S.
After being left with no other choice, Richards tries out for the Network and is selected to be in "The Running Man," a top-rated television show where contestants, known as “runners," must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins. The deadliest of the assassins is Evan McCone (Lee Pace). If the runner outlasts the other runners, they win a grand prize of one billion dollars.
Richards is convinced by the show’s ruthless producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), to partake in the game. When the game begins and Richards proves himself to be a worthy contestant, the show’s ratings skyrocket, and his unexpected instincts turn him into a fan favorite. Additionally, this makes him a threat to the entire Network.
“The Running Man” is an interesting choice of direction for both Wright and Powell, respectively. Wright hasn’t directed a film since 2021 with “Last Night in Soho,” and Powell was last seen playing Tyler Owens in Lee Isaac Chung’s “Twisters” (2024).
A director-actor pairing like this almost seems out of the blue, but given his career so far, Powell is willing to work with any filmmaker if the script is good and the role is suitable for him.
Powell turned down a role in Gareth Edwards’s “Jurassic World: Rebirth” because he believed his “presence in the film wouldn’t help it,“ according to an article by SlashFilm.
Ever since his stardom in Joseph Kosinski’s “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022), Powell has been taking roles that he’s genuinely interested in and are parts where he can provide more to the quality of the film. The best recent example of this is his performance as Gary Johnson in Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man” (2023).
Without question, Powell’s acting in “The Running Man” is one of the best aspects of it. He has the skills as an actor to have a wide range. In one scene, he can be intimidating, and in another, he is sympathetic and caring.
None of this is possible without Wright’s direction. His work on “Baby Driver” (2017) and in the "Three Flavours Cornetto" trilogy has shown that he has the talent to film incredible action sequences. There are many in “The Running Man” that are some of Wright’s best work.
There are many instances of Wright’s signature camera work and motifs that are executed flawlessly. However, the issues that arise in the film are in the script and in the cinematography.
On the latter, the film’s look mirrors a problem that a lot of modern films have, which is looking bland. There’s nothing visually interesting about the film’s cinematography. It does take place in a dystopian U.S., but there could’ve been a better approach to shooting the film.
In terms of the script, there is a problem with Richards having a little too much plot armor and too many scenes where he easily escapes from the band of assassins. There are also some issues with character writing. In particular, Richards' wife and daughter are not given enough time to develop their roles.
The audience is introduced to them in the first five minutes of the film and doesn’t get to see them until the end of the third act. It would’ve been nice if more time had been spent among Richards, Sheila Richards and their daughter, just so the audience feels the same way he does when competing.
The reason he’s in “The Running Man” is to save his daughter and to get his family out of a slum neighborhood. There should’ve been more screen time devoted to them all together, rather than separated.
“The Running Man” may not be Wright’s best or even Powell’s best, but that doesn’t stop it from being an entertaining action thriller that never lets its foot off the gas pedal.
Rating: 3.5/5
