Right out of the gate, the new Running Man hits hard because it feels totally topical. The dystopian future the film paints is probably way too close for comfort.
This is a world where freedom is dead. It's run by billionaires who’ve merged government and corporate monopolies, keeping everyone under constant surveillance. When you hear about unchecked corporate power and plans for a surveillance state in the news, this future stops feeling like fiction.
In this grim setup, the stakes are horrifyingly real. The poor are literally forced into death games on national TV for survival. It's twisted entertainment used to keep the masses distracted and controlled.
But here’s the surprise: even with that bleak backdrop, the movie is still exciting and fun to watch.
Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is out of his luck. When he gets fired from his job after he fought for the rights of his fellow coworkers, Ben is forced to join a TV death game to buy medicines for his sick daughter.
He then becomes a part of The Running Man, a reality show where contestants can win money if they can escape from a team of elite gunmen who aims to kill them.
When Ben finds out that the show has depicted him as a criminal in order for the masses to approve his assassination, he realizes that his mission is much more bigger than survival. He also has to take down the whole regime.
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THE running man CAST
Glen Powell is perfectly cast as Ben. The actor is magnetic. It’s easy to root for him even if his character is full of rage.
On the flip side, Josh Brolin, as the showrunner Dan Killian, is equally charismatic, but he wears the pure evil just under his skin. It’s easy to see how he was able to fool Ben into joining a dangerous game show.
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ACTION SCENES
Fans of action movies will be delighted with the never-ending action in this movie. And the setpieces get bigger and grander, so there’s always something new to see. This non-stop energy is thrilling, but it does make the movie feel a little overlong by the end.
The final moments also feel abrupt and maybe a little unrealistic for such a dark story. But the hopeful ending is important. It's a solid reminder that even when things seem completely broken, there’s still a way forward.
Of course, accolades must go to Edgar Wright for pulling this off. The director delivered a faithful adaptation of the 1982 Stephen King novel, yet managed to make it feel fresh and sharp for today’s audience.
All in all, The Running Man works because it successfully blends a terrifyingly dark premise with real blockbuster thrills.
It's sharp social commentary wrapped up in a high-octane action package. The direction is great, and the lead actors deliver exactly the kind of larger-than-life energy this story needs.
The Running Man is now showing in theaters nationwide.