Glen Powell

William H. Macy

Lee Pace

Michael Cera

Emilia Jones

Daniel Ezra

Jayme Lawson

Sean Hayes

Katy O'Brian

Colman Domingo

Josh Brolin

Karl Glusman

David Zayas

Martin Herlihy

Danny McCarthy

Angelo Gray

Alyssa Benn

Sienna Benn

Greg Townley

Joey Ansah

James Frecheville

Alex Hoeffler

Julia Cumming

Chris Rogers

Tom Crowhurst

Reomy D. Mpeho

Michael Mears

Robert Eades

Lee Charles

Simon Haines

Billy Clements

Shelley Conn

Thalía Dudek

Nicholas Richardson

Law X

Tom Mackley

George Carroll

Catherine Cohen

Debi Mazar

Noah Ritter

Emma Sidi

Malcolm Atobrah

Georgia Goodman

John Paul Wagner

Russell Hicks

John Addison

Clarisse Encontre

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Kaya Slawecka

Derek Miller

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Hannah McClean

Roshani Abbey

Rich Hall

Henry Miller

Michael Bacall

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Oluniké Adeliyi

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Chi Lewis-Parry

Charley Palmer Rothwell

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Corey Johnson

Will O'Donnell

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Alex Neustaedter

Boe Radley

Jack Johnson

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Renée Lamb

Brandon Burke

Graeme Dalling

Tadhg Murphy

Miles Ley

Ada Player

James Austin Johnson

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Simon Kinberg

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Paul Machliss

Colin Nicolson

Nikki Berwick

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Kathryn Pyle

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Audrey Chon

James Biddle

Rachael Prior

Pete Chiappetta

Anthony Tittanegro

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Andrew Whitehurst

David Zaretti

Lee Briggs

Umar Hussain

Steven Price

Alexandria Kerr

Andrej Riabokon

Clay Donahue Fontenot

Liam Carey

Danko Jordanov

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Ivo Vuchkov

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Natalie Wright-Cella

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Rayna Sirmina

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Radoslav Ignatov

Stevie Parker

Victoria Georgieva

Viktor Hristov

Elizabeth Donker Curtius

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Peter Alberti

Ognyan Baldzhiyski

Carlos De Carvalho

Leo Thompson

Julian Slater

Dan Morgan

Scarlett Mulraine-Simkin

Sharon Martin

Grant Bailey

Oliver Carroll

James Cross

Albert McCausland

Joe Withers

Andy Young

Grace-Anna Hay

Jasmine Lean

Will Smith

Nathanael Bauer

Georgia McCornick

Craig Claassen

Chris Daw

Sam Mitchison

Don Santos

Patrick Sheridan

David Sutheran

Pebbles Day

Francesco Alberico

Charlie Hounslow

Waldo Mason

Jeremy Price

Jacob Stripp

Paul Pirola

Matt Lapthorne

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The Running Man

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Manuel São Bento

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ movieswetextedabout.com/the-running-man-movie-review-a-lot-of-running-for-an-underwhelming-finish-line/

"The Running Man falls short of the potential that Edgar Wright and the source material suggested, though it's an efficient vehicle for the talent and charisma of Glen Powell and presents themes that could and should be incisive.

Its narrative repetition, unnecessary exposure of its messages, and unsatisfactory ending prevent it from becoming a memorable dystopian thriller. It's competent and perfectly acceptable entertainment, but it lacks the impact and significance it promised.

We're left with the echo of an undeniable truth: even in the most rigged and predatory spectacle, the fire of hope and rebellion can't be televised, bought, or silenced."

Rating: C+

CinemaSerf

With his young daughter in need of some basic medication that he and his wife cannot afford, “Richards” (Glen Powell) sets off to enrol in the most taxing of television game shows. If he can stay alive for thirty days, he will win a gazillion new dollars and be able to live, with his family, like a king. Of course, he learns fairly quickly that this will never be a fair fight as the show’s boss “Killian” (Josh Brolin) makes quite clear. This is going to be brutal stuff, with the population actively encouraged to report his whereabouts for a cash bonus, so the goons or the “hunters” can come and waste him. Now he isn’t exactly your average ye-ha ninja type. He’s more your decent, gym going, family man - so what chance he can adapt and survive in the face of betrayal and bullets? It starts off quite promisingly, and as usual Powell is fully aware that much of his appeal on screen is down to his willingness to wear (nor not) a skimpy towel, but once we get into the adventure proper this all reminded me too too much of a “Hunger Games” production - complete with remote television cameras and exuberant live television coverage from “Bobby T” (Colman Domingo). There’s a blink and you’ll miss it cameo from William H. Macy which could have been delivered by just about anyone and if you’re especially eagle-eyed you might spot Sandra Dickinson here as she and Michael Cera attempt to provide our runaway with some much needed moral support. “Richards” accrues cash for each kill and for each day he survives, and that also reflects the level-up, video-game, style of these adventures with each getting more lucratively perilous and him becoming more like John Wick as the days go by. The sense of menace? Well that doesn’t really survive an increasingly relentless sequence of predictable CGI-driven pyrotechnics and it just possible that Powell isn’t the best casting here. He’s easy on the eye and charismatic, but he isn’t convincing at any stage as things heat up and neither are Brolin or Domingo who just overact. It could readily lose half an hour without compromising the gist of the original Stephen King story and I just couldn’t help thinking it was released too close to “The Long Walk” which is similar in concept and better in delivery. It’s watchable enough, but I’m not sure I will remember it any more than Arnie’s more static, studio-based, version from 1987.

Pretty fun and entertaining remake/re-adaptation that features a fine performance from Glen Powell alongside solid action scenes. Josh Brolin's shear presence made home quite good even if it's a thinly written character and one who doesn't have a ton of screen time. Nothing groundbreaking but still worth checking out. **3.75/5**

There's often a very good reason why they say a film is "adapted" from a literary work. 

Such was the case with the 1988 film, "Running Man". Ably adapted from Stephen Kings literary work, it condensed a much longer tale, into a manageable and entertaining package. 

Regrettably, what has been repeatedly touted as an advantage, that is the new film, following the literary work of King more closely, is anything but. This is an overly long, at times thoroughly boring film, that's lacking in both pace and direction. Worse still, its narrative is devoid of depth and wit, leaving  characters who feel more like caricatures. Unsurprisingly too, its woke. Who didn't see that coming?

The net result is a film  I personally found so tiresome and dreary, I ended up rewatching the thoroughly satisfying original, to cheer myself up.

In summary, overly long, lacking in pace and direction, narratively impoverished, populated by card board cut out caricatures. My advice, if you are new to this tale, watch the 1988 original. Its leagues ahead of this burnt offering.

misubisu

### **Review: *The Running Man (2025)***

**Score: 7/10**

Comparing any remake to the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger classic is a brutal contest. The original is a beloved, muscle-bound, high-camp satire of 80s media and authoritarianism, where the puns are as thick as the biceps. The 2025 adaptation wisely doesn't try to be that. It takes Stephen King's (writing as Richard Bachman) original dystopian novel and the core concept of a deadly game show—where convicts run for their lives while being hunted by celebrity "Stalkers"—and grafts it onto a sleek, modern framework. The result is a surprisingly tense, socially conscious thriller that largely succeeds on its own terms, though it can't escape the long shadow of its predecessor's iconic swagger.

**Where the 2025 Version Excels (And Diverges Radically):**

*   **Tone & Atmosphere:** Forget the garish, neon-lit spectacle. This version is a **gritty, grounded, and genuinely stressful survival thriller**. The focus is on claustrophobic chase sequences, clever evasion, and the psychological torment of being hunted. It trades the original's cartoonish gladiators for more believable, tech-augmented hunters and a game that feels like a sinister, nationwide social media event.
*   **Social Commentary:** While the 1987 film satirised game shows and TV culture, the 2025 update is a sharp critique of **algorithmic entertainment, surveillance capitalism, and influencer culture**. The "Running Man" show is a TikTok/Twitch hybrid gone horribly wrong, where public approval and viral engagement dictate a contestant's fate. It feels frighteningly plausible.
*   **The Protagonist:** Our new Ben Richards is no invincible super-cop. He's a desperate, resourceful everyman, played with a compelling mix of vulnerability and grit. His fight feels more like a struggle for survival than a one-man revolution, making the stakes feel more immediate and personal.

**Where It Stumbles in the Comparison:**

*   **The Charisma Deficit:** This is the unavoidable trade-off. The new film lacks the sheer, **iconic bravado and quotable lunacy** of the original. There's no equivalent to "Here is Sub-Zero... Now, plain zero!" or a villain as deliciously hammy as Richard Dawson's Killian. The 2025 version's antagonists are sinister and slick, but they aren't *fun* in the same way.
*   **A Sombre Experience:** It is a far more serious film. The dark humour and satirical edge of the original are replaced with a relentless, anxious tone. You won't leave with a pumped fist and a smile; you'll leave feeling like you've narrowly escaped a digital panopticon. For fans of the original's flavour, this can feel like a loss.

**The Verdict:**

If you go in expecting a nostalgic rehash of Arnie's one-liners and explosive set-pieces, you will be **bitterly disappointed**. However, if you can accept it as a **complete re-imagining** that uses the same premise to tell a different story for a different era, it is a successful and compelling film.

It stands as a strong, **7/10 dystopian thriller**—tense, smartly updated, and visually distinct. It understands that today's horrors are less about theatrical dictators and more about omnipresent screens and crowd-sourced cruelty. The 1987 film is a time-capsule classic of 80s excess; the 2025 version is a sleek, paranoid warning for the digital age. They are two very different victories.

Chandler Danier

Oh dude...end it at the plane crash. The man who runs is good at running. Nice skill set like that guy who transports things. Lots of movers these days. Should have been called Marathon Man.

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