THE RUNNING MAN (2025)

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi
Director: Edgar Wright
Cast: Glen Powell, William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, Sean Hayes, Katy O’Brian with Colman Domingo, Josh Brolin
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 13 November 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 favorite—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. 

Movie Review:

Edgar Wright’s The Running Man marks the second cinematic adaptation of Stephen King’s 1982 novel (written under the Richard Bachman pseudonym), following the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger cult favourite. But rather than rehashing the campy ’80s excess of its predecessor, Wright delivers a slick, high-energy spectacle that feels tailor-made for the age of dystopian streaming wars, algorithmic entertainment, and our obsession with celebrity personas.

And at the centre of it all is Glen Powell, who proves—yet again—why he is one of Hollywood’s fastest-rising stars.

We already know the pleasure of watching a charismatic leading man run. Tom Cruise practically built the Mission: Impossible franchise on the art of athletic forward momentum. Powell seems to take that as a challenge. Wright gives him breathless sequences of sprinting, even throwing in a scene where Powell tries to escape the bad guys wearing nothing but a towel. It’s pure popcorn joy: the camera loves him, and he knows exactly how to keep the audience on his side.

In this new adaptation of King’s story, “The Running Man” is the nation’s most-watched spectacle: a brutal month-long survival game where “Runners” are hunted by elite killers for the entertainment of millions. Powell plays Ben Richards, a working-class father who enters the show in a desperate bid to save his gravely ill daughter. Soon, he’s thrust into a televised nightmare where every step—and every breath—is monetised for the masses.

Powell is extremely watchable, balancing roguish charm with flashes of raw desperation. Since the breakout success of Top Gun: Maverick (2022), his star power has only grown, and The Running Man feels like the film that finally cements him as a full-fledged Hollywood action lead.

Wright’s direction is kinetic and visually playful, though not without its bumps. The pacing can feel uneven at times, especially as the film pauses for moments that gesture toward deeper social commentary. Themes of state surveillance, media manipulation, and the commodification of human suffering are present—sometimes compellingly so—but the film rarely lingers long enough to become truly thought-provoking. Not that audiences will mind much: this is an action movie first, and when the spectacle begins, Wright fires on all cylinders.

The supporting cast is stacked and game for the ride. William H. Macy brings weary moral complexity to his role, while Lee Pace adds quiet menace. Josh Brolin and Colman Domingo, meanwhile, are deliciously over-the-top—swaggering, snarling, and chewing the scenery with theatrical glee. They seem to understand exactly what kind of movie they’re in, and their commitment to the heightened tone is a treat.

Michael Cera is the film’s unexpected MVP. Reuniting with Wright after Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), Cera injects the movie with an off-kilter energy with his portrayal of a rebel plotting to overthrow the system, the kind of tonal wild card Wright excels at incorporating into his worlds.

If The Running Man doesn’t quite reach the thematic sharpness it aims for, it more than compensates with sheer entertainment value. Stylish, propulsive, and anchored by an irresistibly charismatic Glen Powell, it’s a blockbuster that knows exactly what it is—and delivers it with a grin. As long as you don’t expect deep philosophical insight, the film serves up a wildly enjoyable ride that should keep audiences running right alongside Powell.

Movie Rating:

(Fuelled by sharp casting and Glen Powell’s relentless running charm, The Running Man is chaotic, loud, and irresistibly fun)

Review by John Li