Paramount Pictures releases The Running Man in UK cinemas from November 12, 2025.
Synopsis
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 favourite—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.
Review
Battle Royale. The Hunger Games. Rollerball. All stories tackling themes of overcoming horrendous oppression through competition — all equally groundbreaking in their own ways. Also, all inspired by the incredible work of Richard Bachman aka Stephen King and his 1982 story The Running Man. That story, already a movie in 1987, returns to cinemas this week under the watchful eye of iconic auteur Edgar Wright.
Meet Ben Richards (Glen Powell), a well-meaning victim of the oppressive system of corporate greed. He’s been blacklisted from all work for being a union guy. His inability to turn a blind eye to corruption has left his family living in the slums of Co-Op City where his daughter is now gravely ill. His wife, Sheila (Jayme Lawson), works in a sleazy bar for tips whilst Ben desperately searches for a way to make ends meet. After hours of watching TV game shows, Ben thinks he can easily win the cash they need for their daughter’s medicine and so attends tryouts. But rather than appearing on one of the less lethal series. Ben winds up winning a place on The Running Man, the deadliest show on TV.
The show plunges Ben into a race against time. The entirety of America is hunting for him with cash prizes available for information on his whereabouts. Meanwhile, the longer he can stay alive, the more Ben makes for his family. Of course this being callous, corporate America there are bonuses if Ben can remove the assassins on his trail by lethal force. But bubbling under the surface is a greed and desperation which has burrowed deep into the heart of America. Questions of morality, media manipulation and societal control spotlight Ben’s kind-hearted nature. Leaving the audience with plenty of timely questions about humanity’s trajectory.
This time around Wright is sticking close to the source material. He brings an authentic adaptation of The Running Man to the screen, using his signature sense of genre subversion and energetic pacing. Wright is tackling Stephen King in a year which has already seen great success for adaptations of his work. Francis Lawrence has already shown us a masterclass in King adaptation with his version of The Long Walk. A film destined to top many of the “Best of 2025” lists in the coming weeks. Luckily for Paramount, Wright and King’s work combined is lightning in a bottle. The result is a film that feels equal parts thriller, satire, and social mirror — a cinematic gut punch wrapped in Wright’s trademark flair.
Staying close to the original also finds Wright embracing the campy 80’s aesthetic of the Paul Michael Glaser film. Many have tried to recreate that distinctly 80’s retro futuristic look but few have succeeded. That is until now. Wright’s film is the perfect blend of 80’s nostalgia, produced on a contemporary budget with one eye on visual effects purely to enhance tangible, practical filmmaking. It culminates in a film which is able to transcend small issues in pacing to become a pulse-pounding experience unpredictable enough for even the most ardent King fan.
Wright brings all of the experience of his previous movies to creating what is arguably his biggest blockbuster. There’s an old school sci-fi sensibility to the construction of The Running Man which sees plenty of London locations spliced together to create Co-Op city. The implementation of tech across the movie is strictly to enhance environments and elevate the storytelling. Wright has never been one to over indulge. So despite The Running Man’s reported $110M budget the film is painstakingly created to maintain a real human connection with the audience.
That connection is almost impossible to break with a charismatic lead like Glen Powell front and centre. Powell shoulders the entire of the film’s hefty narrative. Over the course of 133 minutes we have to see him go through the wringer. But none of that works if the foundations aren’t in place. Powell is able to carry the dedication Ben has to his family alongside his sense of duty and honour. His emotional range can take him from doting father to impassioned radical in moments. Meanwhile his physicality is cleverly played for humour and objectivity as much as it is for bringing brute strength to Ben. Without that the film just wouldn’t work.
But behind every Edgar Wright film is an incredible ensemble cast. Colman Domingo is a scene stealer as Bobby T, the host of the game show. A role which clearly inspired Suzanne Collins in writing Ceaser Flickerman. Domingo is having the time of his life inhabiting this character to the point it doesn’t even feel like work. He exudes theatricality and vanity in a way which makes Bobby T magnetic to watch. Also taking a slice of the hypnotic pie is Josh Brolin as Dan Killian, producer of The Running Man. Killian is far more unlikeable than Bobby T. He oozes sleazy producer energy, allowing Brolin to twirl at an imaginary moustache all in the name of ratings. Though his screen time is short and infrequent he makes a strong impression, particularly during the film’s uneven third act.
As is so typical of Wright’s work there is room for every actor in the ensemble. Michael Cera, Jayme Lawson, William H. Macy, and Lee Pace all make a memorable impression on the audience. Cera is having almost as much fun as Domingo, adding important context to Ben’s journey, while Pace plays a very different role than we’ve come to know him for. Clearly the chance to work with Wright is something difficult for any actor to resist.
Ultimately The Running Man can be judged on a number of different platforms. As a social commentary on oppression and media control it’s awkwardly accurate how King was able to predict what life would be like in 2025. Wright’s interpretation of the source material is never politically heavy-handed. Instead it rightly leaves the audience questioning how the world of the film reflects our own. It tasks us to think about our own circumstances, to fight for change and to fight for equality. It does all of this firmly within the confines of an action-thriller.
As an action film, it presents a strong lead who faces desperate circumstances on a journey to overcome persecution. Where The Running Man struggles is in presenting a physical antagonist figure. Whilst Killian is a deplorable character he’s a symptom of the film’s broader theme of corruption. Similarly Lee Pace’s character presents a physical threat to Ben. But isn’t the ultimate villain. So those looking for the adrenaline rush of a Die Hard may struggle to feel entirely satisfied by The Running Man’s more thematic approach to good vs. evil.
Verdict
The Running Man is a razor-sharp, visually stunning adaptation that pairs Stephen King’s social insight with Edgar Wright’s kinetic energy. It trades relentless violence for emotional truth — and comes out a winner.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
