The Running Man (2025)

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A surprise to no one, this title captivated me when I first saw a trailer, and I could tell it would be one of my favourites of 2025. This came from the combination of 1: someone taking another stab at the original source material for 'The Running Man' and having it make a little more sense than the Schwarzenegger film as far as an adaptation goes; 2: Glen Powell, who makes for a more unassuming action hero, and 3: my personal hero, Edgar Wright was behind the wheel on this project, and he's never made anything I haven't liked.

Now, before you go thinking that I'm casting shade at the 1987 Arnold classic action thriller that is 'The Running Man,' know that I love that movie just as much, but in its own way. Historically, it's one of the epitomized titles of Schwarzenegger's filmography, complete with high-octane action, a retro-futuristic style that gives off a lot of 80s charm, and a slew of one-liners from Arnold, like "I hope you leave enough room for my fist, because I'm going to ram it into your stomach and break your goddamn spine!" It's an undeniable classic in its own right, to be sure.

Unfortunately, however, the '87 film lands in that Stephen King category of film that a few other classics (like 'The Shining') do, where King looks at it and asks, "What the hell did you do to my story?" Although films like these go down in cinematic history as classics, it doesn't change the fact that they mess with the original source material. In many ways, I tend to be in King's corner on this. For as much as I love 'The Shining,' after I finally read the book, which ends far, far differently, I got where he was really coming from. It's a love of other people's work combined with an understanding of how King might feel about excessive tampering.

In the '25 version here, a futuristic United States has been taken over by The Network, a tyrannic television network that specializes in "get-rich-quick" reality TV and game shows, in which poverty-stricken citizens often volunteer themselves to star on in order to make ends meet, get their hands on some medicine, or whatever personal problem is plaguing them. This story focuses on a tough, "sick-of-it-all" man named Ben Richards (Powell) who needs money to help his loving wife, Sheila (Jayme Lawson), and his ill-stricken baby girl, Cathy (Alyssa/Sienna Benn). Like many others, Richards decides to try out for these shows.

When trying out for these shows, one must run a gauntlet that tests both physical and mental prowess, and if one survives, they are selected for the show that best suits them. Richards does his best, but ends up on 'The Running Man,' which is hands-down the most dreaded show to end up on, as you're essentially doomed to death from the beginning. It involves survival from not only soldiers that the network deploys to hunt you down, but society itself, which can turn you in dead or alive for prizes, be it money or a lifetime supply of something. In a society where everyone is desperate to survive, people are bound to be a little more rabid.

The nice thing about 'The Running Man' show, however, is that the longer you survive, the richer you get, and with his wife and sick daughter back home, Richards is determined to do what it takes to survive as long as he can, and hopefully make it through. While the plot is very similar to the '87 version, I can say with all honesty that this is by far the better adaptation, if you're looking for something that leans towards the book a little more. It's still not spot on, but that's also part of its beauty - Wright provides us with the necessary action fans of the '87 film will want in Schwarzenegger's wake.

Again, I am essentially biased when it comes to my opinion on just about anything Edgar Wright has his name on, but speaking for myself, this is easily one of the most fun times I've had at the theatre this year. If it's not showing us some action, it's showing us some fun or humour, and the fast pace and slick editing make for a great roller-coaster ride. Some will no doubt stick to the '87 classic, and that's fine, but I still highly recommend giving this version a shot, if only because it's much, much closer to the story Stephen King originally intended.

5/5

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