The Running Man is a film I’ve been particularly looking forward to, given that it comes from Edgar Wright, who has a distinct style that’s served a number of films brilliantly over the years, not least for the ‘Cornetto Trilogy’ (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End), but also for 2017’s Baby Driver, a film that could also have stormed it on Blu-ray and DVD, if it hadn’t been for the allegations about Kevin Spacey coming out just a week before that film’s home release, and completely scuppering it.
Still, it took $227m on a $34m budget, but while I only got round to seeing Wright’s follow-up, Last Night In Soho, recently, I found that one didn’t gel quite so well. Still, this new movie looked like it might have the same punch to pack like Baby Driver, going by the trailer.
For a storyline, Ben Richards (Glen Powell – Hit Man, Tog Gun Maverick) can’t get meds for his daughter, despite – as one Redditor put it, he’s clearly been “spending all his money on protein, Creatine and gym membership” – he takes part in several TV gameshows in order to get money, but tells the missus, Sheila (Jayme Lawson), he won’t go on The Running Man, given how dangerous it is…
… yet the studio pushes him and others into it, inadvertently, as they enter a changing room with all the suits having their surnames on, although I spotted the names of some were Sheen (Martin?), Spacek (Sissy?) and Kirk (Captain James T?). Seriously, Sissy Spacek was in Carrie, another Stephen King film (given this this spawns from his novel), so maybe there’s a few Easter eggs in this scene.
That said, to link in with the 1987 movie, since the prizes come in $100 bills, they have the face of Arnold Schwarzenegger on them, as if he’s President.
If you take part, all your digital ID will be erased (for those panic-mongers who vote Deform), the public are encouraged to film you, and no-one has ever survived in the past. However, if you DO survive 30 days, you’ll win $1bn dollars – referred to as “New Dollars”, since it’s the dystopian future where old-style TVs are very popular, because “they don’t watch you”.
I wanted to love The Running Man, but the longer it went on, the more I realised it was way too long. It also really sagged in the middle before it started picking up, and too way too long to get going near the start. Yes, Ben needs money so goes on the gameshows. Fine, just get on with it! It’s a movie, not a 4-part drama… but then, maybe, it should’ve been?
After all, at one point he’s getting help from nerd Elton (Michael Cera – The Phoenician Scheme), and later, and at other times from friend Molie (William H Macy – Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes), and civilian Amelia (Emilia Jones – Brimstone), the latter of whom is stupidly unaware just how she and others are being manipulated by what they see on TV. In reality, we know from selective editing on gameshows like Big Brother, and even supposed news broadcasters like the BBC with their Donald Trump scandal, how the truth can be distorted.
For this movie, they make it seem like AI is the tool for that, by creating TV clips to put Glen in a bad light by saying and doing things he had nothing to do with.
Plus, going back to Elton, I was trying to work out who was playing his grandma. Given that the end credits it was Sandra Dickinson, jeez, has it really been almost 45 years since Hitchhikers Guide?! Time goes by too fast.
As for Edgar Wright, again, I love it when his films are full of his touches. Going back to Baby Driver, and I saw elements of that with the fast cutting of the trailer, but the film had none of that panache or style.
Similar to when Ben Wheatley made Meg 2: The Trench (and 2020 remake Rebecca), The Running Man is like the studio made it, and just stuck Edgar’s name on top of it.
I’m reminded of when Neil Marshall (Descent, Dog Soldiers) had his name on the 2019 Hellboy reboot. He talks on the Dog Soldiers 4K extras about how the studio took away all control from him, and then refused to take his name off the film when he asked. So, he gets the blame for a film that wasn’t his fault.
As a few asides, there’s changes between the trailer and the finished film, since I always spot things like this. Ben has to film himself for ten minutes a day and mail his tape in, yet one of a few alternate takes between the trailer and film shows how while the trailer had him saying, “I’m still here!!! (evil laughter)”, it’s now, “I’m still here, Shit-eaters!!!” (with no evil laugh following)
Similarly, The Four Seasons‘ Colman Domingo‘s “Welcome to the Running Man” is also left out, so that clearly was filmed on-set just to introduce the trailer. It’s also odd that this film requires him as presenter, and Josh Brolin (Weapons) as producer Dan Killian, whereas the 1987 film only needed one actor for the combined role.
Also, clearly added by the studio, given that it’s 2025, Glen’s also in a mixed-race relationship, and I’m not sure the kid is his, either.
Similarly, for another change, rival contestant Laughlin was the late Yaphet Kotto in the 1987 movie, but is now butch lesbian Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding), here.
I often wondered how Edgar Wright’s take on Ant-Man might’ve been, but had the studio had so much control over it as they did with this, it’s clear it would’ve been a similar disappointment.
I understand this version of The Running Man is based more on the book, this time round, but looking that up, I see that… ooh, spoiler section! (watch the film first)
But it’s safe to post thing… since people watch on FreeVee, I wonder is that where “Amazon Freevee” came from? That service is technically now closed, but even without Prime, you can still watch some shows and films on Amazon’s site by simply just logging in as usual.
As an aside, this film was an Odeon ‘Screen Unseen’, and similar in other cinemas at the same time. No walkouts that I noticed (but then I sat in the front section of the auditorium at the Trafford Centre), but I still heard a couple of cheers when the BBFC card appeared.
NOTE: There are no mid, nor post-credits scenes, but the end credits are done in a cool way.
The Running Man is in cinemas now, but isn’t yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD. However, once announced, it will appear on the New DVD Blu-ray 3D and 4K releases UK list.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 135 minutes
Release date: November 12th 2025
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (ARRIRAW (4.6K), (CinemaDNG (8K) some scenes), Anamorphic Hawk Scope)
Cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 5.5/10
Director: Edgar Wright
Producers: Simon Kinberg, Nira Park, Edgar Wright
Screenplay: Michael Bacall, Edgar Wright
Novel: Stephen King
Music: Steven Price
Cast:
Ben Richards: Glen Powell
Dan Killian: Josh Brolin
Evan McCone: Lee Pace
Laughlin: Katy O’Brian
Bobby Thompson: Colman Domingo
Elton Parrakis: Michael Cera
“Bobby T” Thompson: Colman Domingo
Amelia Williams: Emilia Jones
Molie Jernigan: William H Macy
Evan McCone: Lee Pace
Elton’s grandma: Sandra Dickinson
Bradley Throckmorton: Daniel Ezra
Sheila Richards: Jayme Lawson
Richard Manuel: David Zayas
Carrie: Sophie Simnett
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.