At this point in time, I personally feel that director Edgar Wright can do no wrong with whatever project he touches and direct. Whether it’s the Cornetto Trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and World’s End) or standalone flicks like Baby Driver, he aptly blends music with vista shots and transitions smoothly and without fail, putting in his own signature for all to see and witness. Even a 2-hour movie he directs feels way shorter than it actually is due to great pacing, engaging banter that makes you laugh and think, and overall presentation that doesn’t let up from start to finish.

2025’s adaptation of Stephen King novel The Running Man succeeds on that front, and also stays true to the book. Well, mostly, but a few of the changes are personally for the better, given how dystopian and how much of a downward spiral the source material was. An update and retelling was due, and all the better for it.

Not A Sprint

For those who don’t know, the book is about a man named Ben Richards (Glen Powell) who joins a dangerous game show to get money he needs for his family’s medical ailments. Said show, called The Running Man and should not be confused with the all-ages Korean game show of the same name, has its contestants pursued by hunters hired to kill them. They have to run and/or hide for a total of 30 days to win, though they get incremental bonuses for each day they survive (and more if they kill hunters). The book and this 2025 adaptation has a lot of allusions towards media making spins, lying to people’s faces, how people are into entertainment no matter how vile, and how a winner in any context can lead to an uprising against the rich and the corrupted higher-ups (like the show’s Dan Killian played by the manipulative & captivating Josh Brolin) to the point where insurgency is inevitable.

The Running Man is as subtle as a sledgehammer when it comes to its message and views. However, this complements well with Edgar Wright’s brand of punchy and loud-but-proud editing and directing which feels like a callback to the 80s era of filmmaking. Most of the film’s runtime is meaningful action and noise, all done to make good on Glenn Powell’s rising star power as a victim of corporations inadvertently surviving long enough to be a hero in the populace’s eyes. If anything, his acting chops and portrayal of Richards just feels genuine enough to make us root for him from start to finish. Shoutouts go to Michael Cera as the eccentric supporter Elton who feels for Richards’ plight, and Colman Domingo as The Running Man show host Bobby “T” Thompson who showboats and chews the scenery so well and so affably he’s too goofy to hate.

Lighting Up The Night Like The Wrath Of God…

If there’s even a flaw to pick upon this (mostly) faithful adaptation of the novel, is that the latter third where Richards takes on “extra baggage” and slowly exposes the gist of the reality game show while holding those dogging him at metaphorical gunpoint can drag a bit. But even so, it picks right after, coming to a standoff and conclusion that may deviate a tad from the source material but makes sense in this bright and explosive adaptation. You can nitpick all you want and even compare it with the 1987 adaptation, but I can attest that this version is as close as you can get to a Stephen King story adaptation that’s pretty on-point while also being engaging with its sci-fi dystopian world and “eat the rich” plot thread. I was thoroughly entertained right until the end credits; again, Edgar Wright can really do no wrong.

Final Score: 90/100